


can't fight this feeling anymore

by okanus



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blow Jobs, Boys In Love, Charades, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Dancing, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feels, First Kiss, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Keith (Voltron), Getting Together, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Humor, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, Minor Original Character(s), Mutual Pining, Oblivious Lance (Voltron), POV Keith (Voltron), POV Lance (Voltron), Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Realization, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Slurs, Smut, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wet Dream, but only in a flashback, keith can sing!, lance is thirsty as heck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2018-08-12 00:17:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 59,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7913068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okanus/pseuds/okanus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Uh, yeah Mama, you’re right! Yeah, Keith is my…boyfriend, how did you guess?”</p>
<p>“Maternal instinct. I’m so happy for you, baby. You deserve it.”</p>
<p>Lance could hear her smiling through the line. He had made a terrible, terrible mistake.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Or, the one where Lance's mom guesses Keith is his boyfriend. Lance would hate to disappoint her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. mamma mia

**Author's Note:**

> so, i saw that we didn't have that many fake!dating aus....,.,, so obviously i had to write one ;)) this will be a multi-chapter fic, and i'll try to update as often as possible! i'm working on a few other klance fics currently, so i'll be posting those as well :)) hope u enjoy!!

In Lance’s defence, it wasn’t entirely his fault.

 

Okay. That was a lie. It was completely and utterly his fault, because he was a complete and utter _idiota_. But it was just a tiny white lie! He hadn’t meant to say it, obviously. It just kinda came out! When your parents’ twentieth anniversary is coming up in two weeks, and you have to go to the family lodge to spend a week with the family, who Lance hasn’t seen for a while, _plus_ having to meet the rest of the _entire_ family, who he hasn’t even seen for at least _seven_ years, and barely contacted aside from the odd Happy Birthday message on Facebook, you end up feeling a little bit stressed. Which may cause you to say certain things, things you wouldn’t normally say under usual circumstances.

 

Lance loved his family, of course. He would do anything for his five year-old baby sister, Maela, and he and Maria, who was 19 to his 21, got on like a house on fire. His little brother, ten year-old Leo thought the world of him, and Lance tried his utmost to keep it that way. And his parents, Lola and Mateo Sanchez. He missed them more than he thought he would when he moved out of the ‘family lodge’ over two years ago. Last time he saw them all, it had been what, April? They had come together to celebrate Leo’s ‘very important double-digit birthday!’ as the young boy had excitedly put it. It was August now, and seeing them on phone and laptop screens just wasn’t enough. So yeah, he was excited to see _them_ again. 

 

But then there were the other relatives. The ones he wasn’t so excited to see. The ones that pinched his cheeks and cooed over how tall he was getting, and asked him personal questions he really would have preferred not to answer. And there were many, many questions.

 

_“Lance, darling, why have you not brought a girl over yet?”_

 

_“When will we get to see a girlfriend of yours?”_

 

_“You’re already 20, you know, why haven’t we met anyone yet?”_

 

_“We would love to have some grandchildren running around the place.”_

 

_“Yes, we know you’re a young man, but still!”_

 

_“You’re so cute, if only you would let yourself get involved seriously…”_

 

_“Aren’t you going to bring someone home this time?”_

 

His mom was the source of a lot of these questions, but his assorted aunts and uncles loved to pester him with them as well. Lance knows they mean well, but, it’s getting kinda annoying. Even his dad brought it up the other day, slipping in a casual ‘So, seeing anyone currently?’ during their call. Lance had huffed out a ‘No,’ before hurriedly changing the subject.

 

It’s not that he doesn’t want his family to meet a partner of his, it’s just that he wasn’t exactly a relationship kind of guy. He’s hooked up with more people than he could count, but long-term relationships? Not so many. He’s happy, that’s for sure. He has his close group of friends, he lives in a nice apartment, he can afford to pay his bills, he has a decent part-time job. Yeah, maybe sometimes when he’s lying in bed at night he thinks about how it would feel if there was someone sleeping next to him, someone who would actually be there the next morning to eat breakfast with.

 

But Lance was doing good. When his mom calls, he’s on his weekly 8k run. Horrible, but necessary if he was going to stay in shape.

 

“Yes, Mami?” he panted into his earphone microphone.

 

“Lance, sweetheart, is it a bad time?”

 

“No, no, it’s fine. What’s up?”

 

Lance almost regretted asking. His mom launched passionately into a speech about the struggle of organising the anniversary, telling Lance (for the tenth time) that the it was on the 26th, a Friday, that the lunch, reception, and dinner would be held at some huge hotel, and so on. Lance reminded her that he had sorted out the band, and that apparently seemed like the perfect way for his mom to ask, 

 

“And will you be bringing anyone with you? I need to know, because we need to finalise the catering and seating.”

 

Just one conversation that didn’t mention Lance, love life, or rather lack of it. That’s all he asked.

 

“Mami, I - “

 

“I know, I know. Your old Mami bothers you by asking. It’s fine. No, I understand. These young people, they are too busy with their jobs and their lives. No time for relationships. Forget I even asked.”

 

And the thing was, Lance _knew_ she was trying to guilt trip him. She would never call herself old if she didn’t have an ulterior motive. But Lance was aggravatingly easy to control by the power of reverse psychology. His mom was well aware of that. So of course he took the bait. 

 

“And, what if I _did_ happen to be in a relationship?”

 

He winced as his mom screamed through the phone. Why had he just said that?

 

“I’m so proud of you, sweetie! I can’t wait to meet them! Do I know who it is? I bet I do! Let me guess!”

 

Shit. Lance wracked his brains. Who would be able to fake being his partner on such short notice? Allura had already made plans for a short trip to Bali, or she definitely would have been the person to ask. Crap, maybe Hunk? Nope, Lance remembered he and Pidge had a robotics meet up in a fortnight that they had spent the whole summer preparing for. Who else was there?

 

“I know! It’s that sweet Keith boy, with the lovely manners! The one who loved my cooking when I came to visit last year!”

 

Of all the people’s names in the world for his mom to say. But who else was Lance close enough to? He prayed Keith wouldn’t be busy on the 26th. And that he would be willing to be Lance’s pretend boyfriend. 

 

“Uh, yeah Mami, you’re right! Yeah, Keith is my…boyfriend, how did you guess?”

 

“Maternal instinct. I’m so happy for you, baby. You deserve it.”

 

Lance could hear her smiling through the line. He had made a terrible, terrible mistake.

 

“Okay, darling, I have to go sort out the flower arrangements, but I can’t wait to see you both soon! Love you!”

 

“Love you too, Mami.”

 

As soon as his mom hung up, Lance stopped running and collapsed heavily on a nearby bench. Fuck. He was screwed. How was he going to persuade Keith to play his fake boyfriend for a whole week? With his entire family watching, no less? A fat pigeon waddled past him, pecking at the ground for crumbs. What he would give to be that pigeon right now. He sat for half an hour or so, watching the sun begin its descent. And thinking about Keith.

 

Lance sighed heavily. This really wasn’t going to end well. There was virtually zero chance Keith would agree to this, and if he did? There was also the itty-bitty issue of Lance having had a giant crush on him since they became friends four years ago. But this wasn’t a stupid romantic comedy. Keith wasn’t suddenly going to confess his undying love for him with violins playing in the background. They would go, have a good albeit slightly awkward time, and come back, and their lives would go on as usual. Lance wiped sweat from his face. He’d go over to Keith’s place now. It would be easier to just rip off the bandaid as soon as possible. 

 

———

 

“No,” Keith said, shaking his head as they stood in the doorway of his apartment.

 

“I didn’t even ask you anything yet! I literally just knocked on your door!” 

 

Lance stared at the other guy with disbelief. Did he know, somehow? Lance dismissed that thought almost immediately, there was no way for Keith to know his reason for being here. 

 

“Yeah, but you are gonna ask me something, right?” Keith continued wryly. “You have that look on your face, the one you make when you’ve fucked something up. I’ve known you for four years, Lance. You can’t fool me anymore.”

 

Lance scrunched up his face in annoyance. “I have not fucked anything up, thank you very much!”

 

“Then why are you here? Decided to just pop in to see your buddy Keith, while you were all sweaty and gross? What did you do, run all the way here?”

 

Lance decided not to mention that he had, in fact, run all the way here. Keith raised an eyebrow with a smirk. Jesus, that smirk turned Lance to putty. He sighed slightly.

 

“Uh, hello, Earth to Lance?” Keith had the tiniest flush across his cheeks. He was probably just warm, it was a pretty hot summer’s day. Lance imagined that flush appearing on his face for different reasons, and wondered how far down his body it crept. Then he realised Keith was staring at him confusedly, and remembered he had been asked a question.

 

Ah, fuck. ‘Get a grip, you idiot!’ Lance scolded himself. Well, here goes nothing. It’s not like he had anything left to lose.

 

“Yeah, no, I’m fine,” He ruffled a hand through his hair nervously. “But, um, you kind of possibly have to pretend to be my boyfriend for a week? In, like, two weeks?”

 

“Lance,” Keith began slowly. He looked bewildered, the poor guy. Lance nearly felt sorry for him, right up until his eyes hardened and he scowled fucking terrifyingly. “Lance, what the actual fuck!”

 

“Um, it’s kind of a long story. Can I maybe come in? Also, possibly get something to eat? I’m starving.”

 

Keith exhaled heavily, and moved to let Lance in, shaking his head all the while. Lance felt bad for having made him a part of this mess, but there was no other choice. Silently, they made their way to the kitchen, each engrossed in their own thoughts. When they were finally situated in Keith’s room, each of them equipped with cup noodles and cokes, Lance had managed to sort out the disorganised mess in his head. He would be completely honest with Keith, and wouldn’t leave anything out. Except maybe the part about his crush.

 

“So, are you gonna explain to me why I have to fake date you, or are you just gonna sit there looking stupid?” Keith grumbled, but there was no heat in his voice. They both knew the insults they tossed at each other were good-natured. At least, Lance hoped so.

 

“Okay, um, yeah, um, okay, so, the thing is, I was kinda, sorta, on the phone with my mom, and she was talking about the anniversary coming up in two weeks?” Lance looked to Keith, and the other guy nodded encouragingly. “Yeah, well, you know how my family is always on my case about my dating life, well she was going on about that, so I may have said that I _was_ dating someone, so…” He trailed off, hoping Keith would understand. Of course, he didn’t. 

 

“I don’t get it, what do I have to do with this?” he asked. Idly, he played with one of the strands of his stupid mullet. Damn, that was way hotter than it should have been. There was a tiny drop of soda on his bottom lip. Lance wanted to lick it off.

 

“Well, my mom decided to try and guess who I was ‘dating,’ and the first name she said happened to be yours, and since everyone else was busy, I didn’t really have any other options,” Lance shrugged, aiming for casual. He had probably failed.

 

“I’ll do it, but I can’t believe I was your last choice. I’m a bit offended, Lance,” Keith smiled, gently tossing a pillow at Lance’s head. If only he knew the truth, Lance thought ruefully. Then the impact of the rest of Keith’s words hit him.

 

“W-wait, you’re saying you’ll do it?” 

 

Shit, this had gone so much better than Lance could even dream of.

 

“Sure, why not? I get a week of your mom’s amazing food, and I was pretty bored here, anyway. But you owe me big-time.”

 

This was simultaneously the best and worst thing to ever happen to Lance Sanchez. It was the best thing to happen, because he got to spend a whole week pretending to date Keith, and being able to kiss him whenever he felt like it. It was also the worst thing to happen, because he had to spend a whole week pretending to date Keith, and having to kiss him and act all ‘couple-ly’ in front of his entire family. How Lance was going to survive the ordeal, he had no fucking clue.

 

“Dude, thank you so fucking much, you have no idea how much this means to me. I’ll buy you dinner, for like, a month, I swear.”

 

Keith snickered into his food, then raised his head slowly and met Lance’s gaze with a seductive smirk. 

 

“Hey, Lance, if we’re dating now, I’m pretty sure that ‘dude’ isn’t the correct way you should be addressing your… boyfriend.”

 

Shit shit shit shit shit fuck shit fuck this was such a bad idea. Did Keith have any idea how weak at the knees he could make Lance? And he was going to have to endure this for a full week. Oh, forfuck’s sake. And of course, Keith wasn’t finished fucking Lance over, as, _dios mío,_ he bit his lip, looked up through his eyelashes and delivered the final blow to the last shreds of Lance’s dignity. 

 

“I think it’s time for you to be heading home. Wouldn’t want you to miss out on any of your beauty sleep, _baby,_ ” Keith said huskily, in a voice that was at least an octave lower than usual.

 

Lance fucking whimpered. And then died. Literally, he could feel his soul leaving his body. Was it even legal for Keith to be that hot? He couldn’t even speak, he could feel the heat rising on his cheeks and could hear the soft, choked off noises he was making in his throat. 

 

“I - I,”

 

Keith fucking laughed at him, the bastard! And, oh god, he got up from the bed and shit, his shirt was slightly rucked up around his impossibly tight jeans, and there was a tiniest, most tempting sliver of pale skin visible, and Christ almighty, Lance was so gay for this guy. And when he turned around and walked out of the room, Lance couldn’t drag his eyes away from Keith’s ass. And he wasn’t even ashamed of it. He stayed tight in his (Keith’s) chair, barely even breathing until he heard the guy yell at him from another room,

 

“Get out of my room and go home, you loser!”

 

Thankfully it was in his normal voice this time. Lance jumped up and rushed out of the apartment, practically sprinting all the way back home. That night, he fell asleep to the memory of Keith’s voice calling him baby, and woke up achingly hard with a wet patch in his underwear. He needed to take a cold shower, or maybe two. 

 

By the end of the trip, he would either have killed Keith or himself. He was still deciding.

 

———

 

There were only two more days to go before they set off for Lance’s family home. 

 

He and Keith had hung out a couple times in the last few days, going over backstory details and making everything seem more ‘realistic.’ One of the best times was the day they went around the city taking photos together. They visited a park, a museum, a lake, and when they finally got home and Keith began to make dinner, Lance snapped a bunch of him without him knowing, as well as some of the both of them. His personal favourite was the one he had taken when he had spontaneously smushed the side of his face against Keith’s while they were sitting on the couch, grinning like an idiot. Keith had been taken by surprise mid-laugh, and from the tenderness on his face in way he was looking at Lance in the photo, someone who didn’t know them would probably think they were actually together. 

 

The next day, Lance went and got it printed. He kept it in his wallet. He didn’t tell anyone, least of all Keith.

 

———

 

Since they had to leave early to drive up to the lodge, like, 6 a.m. early, Lance invited Keith to stay over at his place for the night. They would taking his car, mainly because Lance thought it looked cooler, but also because Keith’s car was slightly smaller, and though it was faster, it was also bright red.

 

It was so glaringly red it was painful to look at, and Lance had declared, 

 

“If I have to drive that, that, _monstrosity,_ I would rather get out and walk all the way.”

 

Keith had shaken his head and reluctantly agreed to take what Lance called his ‘lion,’ a navy blue convertible. 

 

For dinner that night, Lance had forced Keith to make dinner, swearing that the guy’s cooking was, as he put it,

 

“Amazing, incredible, delicious, please Keith, I can’t cook for shit,” 

 

And Keith had indignantly replied with “It’s fucking boxed mac and cheese Lance, what the hell!”

 

Keith had ended up making dinner. And the mac and cheese was honest to god the best Lance had ever tasted.

 

They chatted of unimportant things, avoiding the topic of tomorrow. Lance was constantly cracking jokes, pleased when he made Keith’s rare genuine smile appear. Though they were both tired, they talked till almost midnight, before saying goodnight and leaving to their respective bedrooms.

 

At one a.m., both of them were tossing and turning, unable to sleep, each desperately wishing the other was next to them.

 

———

 

“Five more minutes, _Mami,_ ” Lance begged, swatting away the hand that was insistently prodding at his shoulder. He burrowed deeper into his covers, keeping his eyes firmly shut. 

 

“Mmph!” 

 

Lance cracked open his eyelids at the sudden weight on his lower stomach. He blearily blinked away the last dregs of sleep to see Keith sitting on the blankets. On him. Or, more importantly, with his ass less than an inch away from his dick. Which seemed to be taking rather an interest in the current events, to Lance’s dismay.

 

“Keith! What the hell! Get off!” 

 

He shot straight up and shoved the cackling asshole off of him. Keith fell to the floor, almost crying with laughter as he said,

 

“See, at least now you’re fully awake! I had no other options! You kept mumbling something about outer space and robots! What the fuck kind of dreams do you have!”

 

Lance mumbled some not very nice things in Spanish. It was early as fuck! The sun wasn’t even in the sky, okay? Obviously, _Keith_ hadn’t struggled to fall asleep last night.

 

“Okay, it worked, as you can see, I am now fully awake, so get out! I need to change, and — how have you already changed, what the hell?”

 

And true enough, Keith was standing there fully changed and what seemed ready to go. They had decided to not eat a ‘boring breakfast of oats and shit’ (as Lance put it), at home, and instead pick something up while they drove. Also, Lance was gonna have to speak to the big guy in the sky, because it couldn’t be fair, the way Keith looked good beyond belief in his black skinny jeans, tight shirt and a red cutoff motorcycle jacket. A fucking motorcycle jacket, really? He groaned and lay back against the pillows.

 

“Yeah, Lance, there’s such thing as being organised,” Keith grinned wickedly, and ripped the sheets off, exposing Lance to the freezing air. He jumped out of the bed with shock and stood shivering in front of Keith.

 

“Jesus FUCK, it’s so cold! Give me those back, _please,_ ” Lance made grabby motions at the sheets in Keith’s hands. When Keith didn’t reply, just audibly gulped, unable to meet Lance’s eyes, Lance was confused. What was it? 

 

“Uh, Keith? You okay there, buddy? What’s going on?” 

 

Keith was full-on blushing now, and as Lance stared at him, he dropped the sheets and fled the room. Lance stood stock-still for a few seconds, still unsure what was going on, when he heard Keith’s slightly muffled voice shout from down the hall,

 

“Lance, put on some fucking clothes, Jesus!”

 

Ah. 

 

Shit. 

 

SHIT.

 

Lance looked down, and yup, he was fully naked. And had been this entire time. For fuck’s sake. At least he didn’t have a boner, because that would have been awkward as hell to explain.

 

He groaned again, and started to get dressed, trying to push thoughts like ‘Keith’s seen your dick!’ and ‘Keith mother fucking Kogane nearly sat on your dick,’ and ‘KEITH HAS SEEN YOU COMPLETELY NAKED’ to the back of his head, rather unsuccessfully.

 

Needless to say, it was slightly awkward when Lance walked up to Keith, who was leaning against the car and his eyes flashed for a second to his crotch. Just slightly. 

 

“Um,” Keith began sheepishly, one hand on his hip.

 

“Let’s just forget this ever happened, okay!” Lance spoke too quickly and loudly. 

 

“Fine!” Keith’s voice was strangely high pitched.

 

This was gonna be a long nine hours.

 

———

 

They had been driving in a slightly uncomfortable silence for around half an hour. Keith had chosen to drive first, and was keeping his eyes firmly on the road. Lance had been fidgeting, alternating between bouncing his knee and rhythmically snapping his fingers.

 

“Keith.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Keith.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Keeeeeiiiiiiiith.”

 

“What is it, Lance!”

 

“I’m hungry.”

 

They weren’t yet on the highway, so immediately, Keith pulled over. Why had Keith had chosen to stop here? He turned to ask, and swallowed when he saw Keith staring at him with a predatory gaze. He put his hand on Lance’s chest, leaned in ever so slowly, and put his mouth to Lance’s ear. His breath tickled, but pleasantly so. And then he softly, sweetly, whispered,

 

“I don’t give a fuck if you’re hungry or not, we’ve only been on the road for half an hour. Shut up and sit quietly and maybe then I’ll get your whiny ass some food.”

 

Lance gulped. He would be lying if he said the dominant tone in Keith’s voice wasn’t hot as fuck, but he also really wanted his food. He sighed heavily, and slouched back into his seat, crossing his arms. He peeked through them to see if Keith was looking at him. He wasn’t.

 

They drove quietly for another five or so minutes, before Keith burst out laughing. He was physically shaking with the peals that were erupting from his lips. Lance emerged from his totally-not-sulking position with astonishment.

 

“Keith, what the fuck is so funny?”

 

Keith just laughed harder, his face going red from exertion. His hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.

 

“Keith!” Lance practically shouted, pushing at his shoulder. Keith shook his head, still unable to speak, until finally he managed to control himself enough to choke out a few words.

 

“Your - you should have seen your fucking face, Lance! You - you actually fell for it! You really - you really thought I wasn’t going to let you eat! I can’t believe you!”

 

He dissolved into laughter once more, as Lance flushed with embarrassment. He frowned slightly.

 

“You don’t have to be a jerk about it, you jerk.”

 

Of course, he didn’t say what he was really thinking, which was ‘I would do anything for you, including and up to jumping out of this moving car.’ He shoved Keith lightly again. 

 

“Can we just get some fucking food?”

 

“Language, Lance,” Keith teased. God, Lance loved him so much.

 

“I hate you so much.”

 

“No, you don’t.”

 

“No,” he sighed, “I don’t.”

 

They drove on, Keith giggling every so often, Lance grumbling out a ‘Fuck you, asshole,’ every time he did. After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at a McDonalds drive thru. Lance ordered his usual, a McDouble and a vanilla shake. Keith, being the pretentious asshole which he was, got a large black coffee.

 

“You’re gonna throw up, you idiot.”

 

“Bullshit! Just you watch.”

 

And Keith did watch, right up until they had to pull over for Lance to vomit into one of the paper bags. He stalked back to the car, where Keith gave him a small smirk.

 

“Don’t even fucking say it.”

 

Keith raised his hands in mock protest, smiling knowingly.

 

“I didn’t say anything!”

 

“Ugh.”

 

Lance had been driving up till then, but  forced politely asked Keith to take over so he could take a ‘power nap.’ He snuggled up, bundling his jacket around himself, and closed his eyes, Keith’s emo music lulling him into unconsciousness.

 

———

 

When he woke, the sun was blazing high in the sky. Lance checked his phone and let out a celebratory whoop.

 

“Just an hour to go, Keith! Here, I should probably take over now, you’ve been driving for ages.”

 

“You really needed that nap, didn’t you? This is the nicest you’ve been to me the whole day,” Keith smiled to show Lance he was joking. They swapped places, and Lance turned on the radio. 

 

“Yes!” He thrust his fist in the air as the first notes of one of his favourite songs began to play.

 

He heard Keith let out a sigh, and grinned.

 

“Come on Keith, you gotta sing along! Everyone loves this one!”

 

Another heavy sigh from the other side of the car. Lance chuckled, and began to sing loudly.

 

_“I've been cheated by you since I don't know when! So I made up my mind, it must come to an end!”_

 

Lance bopped his head in time. He turned and looked at Keith, who was unwillingly smiling and tapping his foot along. He winked at him, and sang emphatically,

 

_“Just one look and I can hear a bell ring, one more look and I forget everything, w-o-o-o-oh!”_

 

_“Mamma mia, here I go again! My my, how can I resist you?”_

 

Lance was shell-shocked. Keith was actually singing along! To ABBA! And he had a damn good voice as well. Lance recovered quickly, and continued singing. The two of them laughed their way through the rest of the song, and when the next song began to play, the both of them exchanged looks and immediately burst into song in perfect harmony.

 

_“Today is gonna be the day, that they're gonna throw it back to you…”_

 

After ten songs in a row, the both of them were out of breath. Lance was sure his voice was hoarse from that last chorus of ‘Beat It.’ 

 

“Lance?” Keith asked, sounding just a little short-winded.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“We should probably go over our backstory again, you know, to make sure we’re all set.”

 

Lance had almost forgotten the reason Keith was with him on the way to his family home. Right. The whole fake boyfriend thing.

 

“Yeah, yeah, right, of course,”

 

They went over the details of how they met, which was actually the true story of their first encounter. They also rehearsed the story of their first date, how long they’d been dating, their favourite thing to do together. Lance had thought of small quirks to make everything seem more genuine, and as he brought some of them up, Keith interrupted him.

 

“I want to have a cool middle name, like _Zarkon_ or something like that.”

 

Lance exhaled lightly. Keith was equally as nerdy and cute as he was serious and intimidating (and hot).

 

“Keith, my parents already _know_ you. And your full name. And that we were friends before we ‘started dating.’ My family’s heard about you before, idiot. My mom freaking met you last year!”

 

Keith slumped back, looking grossly adorable.

 

“It could have been so cool,” he whined, before his expression changed. “Wait, you said your family knows about me? What have you told them about me?” The side of his mouth turned up slightly.

 

“Nothing like that! I’ve known you for four years, Keith, obviously I was gonna mention you at some point,” Lance insisted. “And my family knows about the whole group, Hunk, Shiro, everybody.” Shit, that was close.

 

“Oh, right,” Keith responded, sounding a little disappointed. Or was that just Lance’s over reaching imagination?

 

They sat in a comfortable silence for the remainder of the trip, Lance absent-mindedly tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he navigated the twists and turns of the winding road. The strong breeze played games with his hair, ruffling it up and smoothing it back.

 

Twenty minutes later, they were pulling up beside the lodge. Keith stared at it as they got out, and said in awe, “Lance… It’s gorgeous.” And it really was. Made mainly out of wood, it was a perfect blend of modern and cozy. Three stories high, with one of the ground walls made entirely of glass, it honestly looked like something straight out of a magazine. The forest surrounded it, but not imposingly, and the glassy lake was just visible behind the house. The lodge was pretty much in the middle of nowhere, with it being nearly half an hour’s drive to the nearest town. Standing there, looking up at it, Lance realised just how much he missed it while he was gone.

 

“I’m sick and tired of this car. Let’s go,” he declared. They hauled their bags up to the front door, not bothering to lock the car as they were so far from civilisation. Lance hesitated for a second, faltering and looking back at Keith. He smiled, and nodded towards the doorbell. Messy thoughts fluttered through Lance’s head as he extended his finger towards the buzzer. This was the start of a week he would never be able to forget. It wasn’t gonna just be a normal family re-union, because this time he had Keith pretending to be his boyfriend. He took a deep breath, and felt Keith’s warm hand rest for a second between his shoulder blades. 

 

He pressed firmly, and they heard the ringing echoing throughout the house, accompanied by the flurrying of footsteps and chirruping voices. 

 

“Lance! My baby has come home!” The shout came from within. It was his mom, sounding more excited than Lance had ever heard her. Keith chuckled from behind him, probably at the use of the pet name. One set of footsteps got louder and louder as they approached.

 

“Here we go,” Lance whispered, to both Keith and himself. 

 

The front door swung open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliffhangers, am i right??? if u enjoyed, i'm super thirsty for kudos/comments, so please go ahead. if u want to scream about these boys with me, hmu on insta @galaxyklance :)) love as always x


	2. close your eyes and count to ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith meets the family, and gets an unexpected new fan. Also, a first kiss, swimming in a lake at 2 a.m., and a tragic backstory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!!! sorry for not updating earlier, but as you can see this is a slightly longer chapter, so hopefully that makes up for the slight delay :) as always, hope you like it!! (p.s. at one part in the story, lance and maria have a conversation in spanish. now, i know nothing of the language, and i didn't want to butcher it by using google translate, so you'll see it's in english, but in italics!)

There she stood, resplendent in her patched apron and fluffy slippers. Not quite 50, Lola Sanchez had still retained a fiery spark in her, allowing her to keep her kids on their toes. Her eyes widened with joy as she took in the sight of the two of them, and she held her plump arms out wide. Lance grinned and wrapped his arms around her tightly, not speaking, just breathing in the scent of home. God, it was good to be back. When he pulled back, there may have been a few tears in his eyes, but who could judge him?

 

His mom held him at arm’s length and inspected him critically. “Lance, baby, I’ve missed you so much! You’ve become so much taller, just look at you! But you’re far too skinny, you need some of my good food in you! Come in, come in, here, put your bags to the side over here-“

 

Lance moved past his mom and into the lodge, unceremoniously dumping his bags next to a table. Now it was Keith’s turn to endure the enthusiasm of his mom’s greetings. The other boy held out his hand sheepishly, and said, “Hi, Mrs Sanchez. It’s uh, it’s good to see you again.” The look of shock on his face as Lola pulled him into a firm hug was hilarious, and Lance wished he had filmed it, especially when she finally released him and he was he saw how red Keith’s face had turned.

 

“Keith, please don’t call me Mrs Sanchez. It makes me sound far too old! It’s just Lola, please. And it’s absolutely lovely to see you again! You’ve grown so much!”

 

“Ma, it’s been less than a year,” Lance shook his head, amused at his mom’s exaggerations. Though, she was right. Keith had been working out a _lot_ recently, and it really wasn’t helping Lance sleep at night. He had been lucky enough to see the guy shirtless a few times, and it had been a religious experience each and every time. His abs, god damn it, were freaking insane! And his chest… Lance had nearly cried the first time he had seen it.

 

A piercing shriek shocked him out from his intense pining.

 

“LANCE!! YOU’RE BACK!!!!”

 

His sister, Maria, appeared at the top of the stairs. Her smile grew ever wider when she saw him, and she nearly sprinted down the staircase to launch herself at Lance with a mutter of “I missed you so fucking much Lance, god.” 

 

“Maria! Believe me when I say I _will_ wash out your mouth with soap the next time you speak like that!” Lola threatened her daughter, hand on her hip. Lance knew she wouldn’t carry out that threat, but he didn’t put it past his mom to give Maria a sharp thwack with her slipper, having suffered that punishment before.

 

“Yes, Mami, sorry, Mami, I won’t do it again, Mami,” Maria promised contritely, before turning back to Lance with a grin. “It’s gonna be _so_ much fun now that you’re here, and I see you’ve brought someone with you as well!”

 

She eyed an incredibly awkward looking Keith, who was standing next to Lance, shuffling his feet. Elbowing Lance in the ribs, she whispered loudly, “Damn, Lance. How much luck did your ugly ass need to manage to land someone as Greek god-like as _him_? I’m impressed.”

 

Lance sputtered indignantly. “ _Excuse me?_ If anything, _Keith_ is the lucky one, because - ” 

 

Keith rolled his eyes and placed a hand over Lance’s mouth. Furious, Lance scrabbled at it, but the guy was too strong.

 

“Keith Kogane, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said smoothly, holding out his other hand for Maria to shake. She took it with a smile, hissing “He has manners, too!” at Lance. Keith flushed slightly, and still refused to remove his hand from Lance’s face. Clearly, there was only one option. Lance licked a long stripe all the way up the other boy’s palm, not really thinking about what he was doing.

 

“Lance! Ugh! You’re so disgusting, god!” Keith made a face, and tried to wipe his palm on Lance’s shirt, which led to Lance grabbing his wrist in defence, which led to Keith attempting to rub the spit off on his arm, which led to the two boys engaging in possibly the most awkward hand-holding in the history of the world.

 

“Are you two always like this?” Maria asked, chuckling. Lance’s mom said nothing, just beamed sappily at the both of them. 

 

“You two are just too cute,” she declared, bringing a hand to her chest. “Now come on, the rest of the family is dying to see you!”

 

She led them into the large kitchen area, which held the remainder of Lance’s immediate family. Lance made a beeline for little Maela, and lifted her up, swinging her around in the air. She squealed joyfully and batted at him with her tiny fists. When he finally set her down, she was red-faced and panting.

 

“How have you been, _mi ángel?_ Missed me?”

 

Maela nodded emphatically, and wrapped her arms around his leg. She shot a distrustful look at Keith, and Lance’s heart dropped. Shit, if she didn’t like Keith, Lance would have no idea what to do. Maela was super protective of her older brother, and tended to to be very selfish when it came to his attention.

 

“Are you frowning at Keith?” Lance asked her. “Say hi to him, he won’t bite, I swear.” Of course, thinking about Keith, and _biting,_ led to imagining some _very_ inappropriate things that Lance should not be thinking about when his five-year old sister was clinging to his leg. 

 

Maela distracted him by shaking her head and running to their mom, burying her face in the apron that adorned Lola. Oh, well. She’d come around eventually. Lance walked over to Mateo, his dad, and gave him a warm embrace.

 

“Hey, papa. How’s it going?”

 

“Well, your mom’s been stressing about the anniversary for weeks, and almost screamed at me when I accidentally gave one of the caterers the wrong address, so, it _could_ be a little more calm around here.” The man chuckled, but Lance felt bad for having made everything more complicated by bringing Keith. He had had no clue how much Lola was doing, for her own anniversary no less. “Don’t worry, though. You know how much your Mami likes to be in charge.” That was true, but it didn’t make Lance feel any better.

 

“Lance!” Ten year-old Leo ran up to him and gave him a tight hug. “You were gone for _soooo_ long!”

 

Lance smiled fondly at the young boy. “Well, I’m back now! And I’m ready to beat you in the lake race again!”

 

Everytime the family were at the lodge, Lance and Leo would engage in an intense swimming competition, where they would race each other 25m in the shallower part of the lake. Lance had always won, his competitive streak overpowering him. Leo had never stopped trying, though, and in a few years, maybe he could win. Maybe. The boy spoke excitedly.

 

“Not, you’re not! I’ve been practicing, _every day,_ and this time, I’m gonna win!”

 

“Okay, whatever you say, buddy.” Lance ruffled his hair affectionately.

 

“I am! Hey, who’s _that_?” Leo pointed at Keith, who was chatting amicably to Lola and Maria.

 

“That’s Keith. He’s my boyfriend.” Lance held his breath, waiting for his brother’s reaction.

 

“Oh. I didn’t know boys could have boyfriends”

 

Was that a good oh, or a bad oh?

 

“Of course they can! You could too, if you wanted to.” Lance assured the young boy.

 

“Cool! Wow, Keith is a lot better looking than you.”

 

“You little monkey! Say that again and see what happens!” Lance tickled Leo remorselessly, only relenting when the boy had tears in his eyes from laughter. The nerve he had!

 

“Lance, Maela’s making her way to Keith now. You might want to see this,” Mateo murmured to his son. And sure enough, the little girl was walking firmly towards Keith, where she prodded him curiously in the back of his thigh.

 

“Oh - hello!” Keith spun around, and smiled when he saw the young girl. 

 

“Who are you?” Maela demanded, scrunching up her eyebrows. 

 

“I’m Keith,” the other boy extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

 

“My name is Maela. Lance is _my_ brother. You can get your own.” The tiny girl huffed. She ignored Keith’s hand and poked him again, this time in the calf.

 

Lola gasped and reprimanded her daughter. “May! That is _not_ how we speak to guests! I’m so sorry, Keith, she just needs time to warm up to you, she doesn’t do well with strangers.”

 

“Mrs Sanchez, I mean, Lola, it’s fine.” Keith assured Lance’s mom. He crouched down to Maela’s diminutive height and looked her straight in the eyes. “Don’t worry, I don’t want to be Lance’s brother. I’m already his boyfriend.” The words sent a shiver down Lance’s spine. He was not going to be able to get used to this whole boyfriend thing very easily. Keith continued talking, a smile growing on his face. “Are you a fairy?” He gestured to the child’s get-up, which consisted of a dark blue sparkling tutu, shimmering wings, and ballet tights, topped with a plastic gold tiara.

 

“No.” Maela crossed her arms, a scowl adorning her face. “Fairies are _boring_. I’m a ninja space princess.” She enunciated each word slowly, and clearly, so Keith could understand fully the importance of this. Lance couldn’t stop the laugh erupting from his mouth at the boy’s expression. His mom had warned Lance that Maela had been going through a phase, of sorts, but a ninja space princess? He had _not_ expected that. Where had she got that from?

 

“A ninja space princess, I see,” Keith replied, hiding his grin. “Does that mean I should be calling you Her Royal Highness, Madame Ninja Space Princess?” Maela giggled at that, and Lance relaxed. He had never known how good Keith was with kids.

 

“Yes.” The girl patted Keith approvingly on his head, as if he was her dog. “I like you. You can be a princess, too.”

 

“Really?” Keith feigned surprise. “Thank you! How about Lance, is he allowed to be a princess too?”

 

“The prettiest of them all,” Maela agreed.

 

“More like the smelliest,” Maria muttered under her breath. Keith snorted, and Lance not-so-subtly flipped her off behind his mom’s back. 

 

“So this must be your space palace, right?” Keith asked, grinning.

 

“Yes, it is. _My space palace_ ,” Maela said, enjoying the way the words sounded. She then took Keith’s hand in her tiny brown one, and proceeded to try and drag him out of the room.

 

“Excuse me, sweetheart, where are you taking Keith?” Lola inquired, amused. 

 

“I want to show him my palace, Mami!” The young girl said eagerly.

 

“I don’t think Keith wants to run around the house, now, baby. Maybe later?”

 

Maela dropped Keith’s hand, and looked dismal at the idea that Keith _wouldn’t_ want to run around the house. She looked up at him with big, sad eyes, and said in the smallest voice, “You don’t want to see my palace?”

 

You could see Keith’s heart melt. The rest of the family were used to Maela’s persuasion techniques, and yeah, occasionally Lance would fall for it again. Keith? He didn’t even stand a chance.

 

“Oh, I would _love_ to, but only if it’s okay with your mom.”

 

He glanced at Lola, who just sighed resignedly and waved her hand.

 

“Go ahead.”

 

“Yes!” Maela punched her fist in the air, and the two of them left, the little girl chattering breathlessly into Keith’s ear. There was a short silence.

 

“So, um, what’s up? What did I miss?” Lance broke in.

 

Lola immediately went off on a long rant about how Lance’s aunt, Yelina, had messed up the flower arrangements, and how Lola should have just gone personally to a professional florist instead, but _no,_ of course her older sister had insisted on taking it on by herself, and had ordered bouquets of pink and white roses instead of the red ones Lola had wanted, and there was no way of changing it now, but if only Lola had been more stubborn, and yes, Lance, loved his mom but sometimes she was a bit too, _passionate_ , about things. He nodded vigorously at all the right times, and shook his head when necessary, but after ten minutes, he was almost falling asleep.

 

“Lance.” Mateo said, the corners of his mouth turning up.

 

“Yes, Papa?” 

 

“Go to Keith. We’ll talk later, over dinner. Try and pull him away from Maela and both of you go take a nap. You’re dead on your feet, and this time it’s not just from one of your mom’s stories.”

 

Lola swatted playfully at the back of her husband’s head. “He’s right. Sweetheart, you’ve been staring at the doorway the entire time I’ve been talking. Go on, there’s plenty of time to chat later.”

 

Lance lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay, fine! If you guys insist, I’ll go, I’ll go!” He left the kitchen, and started to make his way to Maela’s room, leaving his family to gossip. They were right, though. It had been tiring driving all the way up here, and his soft, warm bed was calling to him.

 

Wait a second. His bed. His singular, small, _singular,_ bed. Which he would have to be sharing with Keith, because there was no way he’d be able to get away with bringing a mattress into his room. Fuck, how did he not think about that before? Sharing a room with Keith was going to be hard enough, but sharing a _bed_ with the guy who’d been making Lance wake up with a _boner_? It was a suicide mission. Maybe he could make Keith sleep on the floor? 

 

“Ah, shit.” Engrossed in his thoughts, Lance had stumbled into Maela’s closed door. He could hear murmurs coming from inside, so they probably hadn’t heard him. He pushed it open just a crack and peered inside, and what he saw would bring a smile to even the most cold-hearted super villain. 

 

Keith was sat cross-legged on a fluffy pink carpet, his jacket shrugged off to the side. He was holding a toy of some sort in his hand. It seemed to be a stuffed lion, but it had been hand-painted red, most likely by Maela. The little girl had a lion too, her’s a bright magenta. 

 

“Pew, pew!” She moved the toy through the air and knocked down a row of toy soldiers. “Take that, you big meanies!”

 

“Nice going, Ninja Space Princess! You’ve taken out nearly half the force! Let’s finish the battle!” Keith produced a siren noise and neatly toppled over some more of the soldiers. “Ah! I’ve been shot! Man, down, man down! Help me, Princess!”

 

Keith dropped the lion onto the floor, where it lay unmoving, and made some exaggerated dying noises. Maela gasped in horror and pounced on the stuffed animal.

 

“Oh no! We need to save him!” She scanned her room frantically, her expression pure determination. The girl’s eyes met Lance’s, and she let out a yell.

 

“Lance! You need to save Keith! Hurry!” She jumped up and pulled Lance onto the carpet, almost in Keith’s lap. 

 

“Yeah, Lance, what kind of boyfriend are you if you can’t _save_ me?” Keith winked at him. He turned to Maela and took on a more serious tone. “What does he need to do, Princess?”

 

She jutted out her bottom lip in concentration, and then her eyes lit up. “I know, I know! When I hurt myself, Mami _always_ kisses it better! Then the hurt goes away!”

 

Uh. “You want me to, kiss… Keith?” Lance knew the two of them would have to kiss eventually, but not like this!

 

Maela snorted, finding the idea preposterous. “No, silly!” Thank god. “You need to kiss _Red_!” She thrust the lion in his face, where it hung limply from her fingers. “Go on, kiss him better!” Lance leant forward and reluctantly pressed his lips against the stuffed animal for a brief second, before it was snatched back by Keith.

 

“Thank you, Lance,” he said with such sincerity, you would almost think he meant it, if not for the wicked twinkle in his eye. “‘I love it when you kiss m - ”

 

“Maela! Stop tormenting the two boys and let them take a nap!” Lola yelled from downstairs, interrupting whatever the _hell_ Keith was about to say. Lance wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

 

“Sorry May, Keith will play fighter lions with you later. Love ya!”

He full-on dragged a chuckling Keith into the hallway. “What the hell was that all about?”

 

“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about, Lance.” Keith shrugged. “Come on, show me the room where we’ll be taking our _nap_.” A smirk appeared on the other boy’s face as he walked down the corridor.

 

For the love of God - Lance was going to die. He was going to die. Keith Kogane was actually going to kill him. Hopefully his gravestone wouldn’t say something too lame on it. Something along the lines of ‘R.I.P Lance Sanchez, died age 21 due to Keith’s extreme sexiness,’ would probably be quite accurate.

 

“You’re going the wrong way, idiot. My room’s upstairs,” Lance managed to choke out. His voice wasn’t too shaky, right?

 

The boys made their way up the stairs, Keith every so often commenting on the photos that dotted the walls. Hanging next to his room was a particularly nice one of Lance, aged nine, standing in front of the lake with Maria. Both his two front teeth were missing, and he had an honest to god bowl-cut, but Lance still thought he looked freaking adorable, in his opinion. Keith evidently thought so too, as he cooed over how chubby Lance’s cheeks were.

 

Lance groaned. “Ew, dude, stop it! You sound like my abuela!”

 

“I can’t help that you were like the poster child for cuteness, Lance!” Keith said, laughing. “I’m glad you’ve changed your hairstyle, though. No offence, but I would never date someone with a bowl cut.”

 

“You’re one to talk, mullet head. Who even has a mullet anymore! It’s fucking 2016!” Keith shoved lightly at Lance’s shoulder, and told him to “Hurry up and open the fucking door, Lance!’ 

 

Lance pushed open his room door. It looked almost exactly the same as he had left it last year, with some classic movie posters stuck on the wall, the desk littered with unnecessary junk, and his old guitar propped up against the side. Huh. He had forgotten about the instrument, and he hadn’t realised his parents had kept it.

 

“I’m tired as fuck, dude. I’m gonna crash right now, and unless you want to face my family who don’t understand the line between curious and creepy questions, you should probably join me,” Lance said, tossing his jacket over his chair.

 

“Um, but we forgot to bring our bags up, they’re still downstairs,” Keith said hesitatingly. 

 

“Ah, who gives a fuck. I’m not going all the way back downstairs to lug those heavy duffels up here right now. You’re welcome to, if you want,” Lance said, and pulled off his shirt in one fluid motion. Bending over to strip out of his jeans, he didn’t see the blush that appeared on Keith’s face. He straightened up and shook the wrinkles out of his clothes.

 

“Keith, are you okay? What’s up with your face?”

 

The boy was looking at Lance with an odd expression. Keith shook his head quickly, hand coming up to smooth hair out of his face. 

 

“Nothing, it’s nothing! But, like, Star Wars boxers, really?” 

 

“What, you don’t think they’re nice? I’m offended, truly, Keith.” 

 

“You’re such a nerd.”

 

“You know you love me.”

 

Shit. There was an awkward pause, before Keith just shrugged and disposed of his shirt and jeans. And wow, okay, this was not Lance’s best idea, because snuggling practically naked with Keith was not going to end well. Keith clearly didn’t have any issues with it, because he was already lying on the bed, eyes half-closed. Lance almost thought he was asleep until the other boy murmured,

 

“Are you coming, or what?”

 

Right. Lance tried to place himself as far away from Keith as possible, but in the tiny bed, there was no way they wouldn’t be touching. Lance sighed quietly, and lay with his back to Keith, allowing his eyes to shut. The last thing he felt before he lost consciousness was an arm reaching over him to tug him closer.

 

———

 

_Click. Click. Click-click. Click._

 

Lance was hovering on the verge of being awake. The blankets were draped over his lower body, and his legs were tangled with someone else’s, and there was a solid presence behind him, and warmth surrounded him, and everything was so comfortable, so _right_ , except for that goddamn clicking sound! Reluctantly, he opened his eyes to Maria leaning over him, phone in her hand.

 

“Ooh, goody, you woke up! I wasn’t looking forward to detaching you from Mr. Octopus over there,” and she gestured to the body that was currently tugging Lance closer, a soft grumble being exhaled against the back of Lance’s neck. “You and Keith have to come down now, Mami’s made dinner and we’ve all been waiting for you to eat!”

 

Lance ignored his sister as she continued to talk, because he was frozen with shock. Keith was the warm presence! Keith was the person who had Lance’s limbs entangled with his own, who Lance was cuddling, for god’s sake! If Maria wasn’t standing over the two of them, impatiently tapping her foot, Lance would have jumped out of the bed and escaped to the isolation of his bathroom, but he _couldn’t fucking do that,_ because that would look a bit weird when he was supposed to be dating the boy who was tightening his arm around Lance’s waist!

 

“Mm?” Keith stirred, and Lance shifted to face him. The other boy blearily opened his eyes, and smiled when he saw Lance gazing back at him. “Morning, babe,” he mumbled sleepily. And okay, Keith’s morning voice was unfairly husky and deep, and added to the use of the pet name, Lance was uncomfortably close to being turned on. And not for the first time, he wished this were real. He wished that Keith calling him ‘babe’ wasn’t just for the sake of Maria, he wished he was actually waking up next to Keith as his real boyfriend, wished he could lean over and press a kiss to Keith’s forehead. Lance hated himself for falling so hard and so deeply for this boy.

 

“Keith, it’s not morning, it’s evening, and my irritating sister won’t leave until we get out of bed. Apparently, we’re keeping the family from dinner.” Lance wasn’t too fussed about taking his time, because in the Sanchez household, each and every meal was a production, with family members rushing about haphazardly while his mom yelled at all of them from the kitchen. Obviously Keith, the golden boy, had to jump out of bed at that, apologising profusely to a chuckling Maria, before realising he was in nothing but his boxers. Maria laughed louder and backed out of the room, saying she would “Leave you two lovebirds to it!” and slamming the door.

 

Keith was hurriedly pulling on his shirt, having already put on his jeans, which was quite a feat considering how fucking tight they were. He scowled when he saw Lance still lounging on the bed and snapped out a “Lance, get your flat ass out of bed this instant!” Lance let out an exaggerated groan and slowly, slowly, got up and changed into decent attire to eat family dinner in. Also known as the clothes he’d been wearing the whole day. Hey, it was better than just his boxers! 

As they left the room, Lance whispered “So, stare at my flat ass a lot?” into Keith’s ear and sprinted down the stairs, not wanting the boy to physically push him down them and kill him. His peals of laughter echoed throughout the house as Keith stood stock-still at the top of the staircase, mouth opening and closing like a fish. “It’s okay, your secret’s safe with me, _babe_!” Lance yelled up at him. Ha. Take that, Keith. 

 

Finally they were all gathered around the dinner table, with the absence of Maela, who had been put to bed in her room. There was a feast laid out for them, with heaping plates of chicken, rice, vegetables and beans fighting each other for space on the table. Lance was sitting in between Keith and Maria, with his parents and Leo seated opposite. It was quiet for a few moments but for the few ‘Excuse me’s’ and ‘Here, take some of this’ as they all served themselves food. The mood was relaxed, comfortable, but Lance was still nervous. Because after all the usual small talk, you know, the questions about Lance’s job, and his house, and telling him what had happened while he was gone, his mom turned her interrogation to Keith.

 

“So, Keith, sweetheart, how old are you?”

 

Keith swallowed his bite of rice and told Lola he was 21, same age as Lance, but obviously far more mature. Everyone laughed at that, and the conversation flowed a lot smoother and easier from then on. Keith was _amazing_ , fielding questions left and right. Lola asked him the usual stuff, about his job (interning at some fancy-ass law place), hobbies (astronomy and engineering) where he was from (South Korea), but then she asked him the question Lance had been desperately hoping she wouldn’t.

 

“And what about your family, dear? Do they live near you, or -?” Lola trailed off at the the sudden emotion showing on Keith’s face. He winced slightly, and then exhaled shakily. 

 

“I, um, I don’t have a family. I was an only child, and my parents died when I was really young, so I don’t even remember them at all. I spent my childhood in an orphanage, then foster homes, and as soon as I turned eighteen, I was on my own. Have been, ever since.” There was no bitterness in his voice, just a trace of sorrow. Then, as naturally as breathing, Keith took Lance’s hand in his own, and rested them on the table. “But when I met Lance, he just changed my life. I don’t know who - or where - I’d be without him.” Lola and Mateo smiled fondly at that, and Maria patted Keith on the shoulder, but it was Leo who really saved the day. 

 

“Don’t worry, Keith! We are your family now! Lance of course, and me, and Mami, and Papa, and Maria, and Maela, and we used to have two hamsters called Billy and Joel but they ran away but I’m sure they would want to be your family too.” The little boy’s voice was earnest, and Lance’s heart welled up with love. He squeezed Keith’s hand a little tighter, and everyone pretended not to notice the wetness in Keith’s eyes when he said “Thank you, Leo.” The young boy beamed at the compliment, and Lance made a mental note to thank Keith later, because in such a large family, it was sometimes hard for Leo to be noticed.

 

“So, how long have the two of you been dating, again?” Maria questioned them, breaking the silence. They had gone over this a thousand times, so Lance opened his mouth and said _“Four months”_ at the exact same moment Keith said _“Half a year.’”_ For a second, it gets absorbed by everyone, and Lance takes that second to panic and mentally curse at Keith. His brain screamed at him to ‘ _Think, think, you idiot!’_ , but he couldn’t speak. Keith chuckled nervously and gripped Lance’s hand like it was his lifeline. 

 

“Well,” he began haltingly. “I guess we’ve been officially dating for four months, but to me it’s been six. The reason is because this guy is too dense to realise what a date proposal is!” Lance nodded along convincingly, having no clue where Keith was going with this. He continued speaking, not letting go of Lance’s hand.

 

“You see, we’re both hanging out in the library, and I had been majorly crushing on him for pretty much as long as I had known him, which was about three and a half years. So I finally work up the nerve to ask him out. I’m blushing furiously, I’m stammering, but I manage to get out a _‘Do you want to like, um, go grab some dinner later?’_ Now, I’m terrified for his reaction, right?” Keith’s voice becomes more animated as he described how Lance had replied with a casual _‘Yeah, sure,’_ to Keith’s immense joy. Fast forward the next few weeks, and while they had been spending more time together, Lance hadn’t made any moves on him, which Keith thought was kinda weird. “I confront him about it, you know? And it was literally something out of a romantic comedy or something like that. I tell him we needed to talk, he agrees, and at the same time I say _‘Do you even still want to date me?’_ he says _‘Keith, will you go out with me?’_ ” Maria got it immediately, and cracked up, clutching at her sides, while Lola, Mateo and Leo looked a little confused.

 

“I hadn’t _realised_ he was asking me out at the library, guys. I thought he just wanted to get some food with me!” Lance explained to them. They caught on, and soon the whole table was erupt with laughter, Keith loudest of them all. Lance was chuckling self-deprecatingly along, but his mind was a whirlwind. The library moment Keith had just talked about? It had been real, every second of it. Keith _had_ asked Lance if he had wanted to get dinner together, and Lance _had_ said yes. Of course, the part where Lance confessed his feelings two months later was fake, and surely the part where Keith said he had been crushing on Lance for _years_ was fake too, right? Lance had no idea what to think. So he just played along.

 

“How was I supposed to know that he was asking me out? The guy’s exact words were ‘Do you want to get dinner later?’ Does that sound like a date proposal to you?” He defended his actions passionately. “I mean, _seriously,_ Kogane, that was the best you had?”

 

Keith snorted, and muttered a _“Shut up,”_ and without thinking, Lance said “Make me.” And suddenly everything was happening so quickly because Keith was shrugging and saying “Okay,” and Maria was going _ooooh,_ and his dad was shaking his head amusedly, and Lola was covering Leo’s eyes jokingly, and Keith’s lips were chapped and warm and firm against his own for just a second, too short for Lance to even savour the moment, and then Keith was leaning back in satisfaction, and what the fuck? Had - had Keith just kissed Lance? 

 

“And that’s how you shut Lance up,” Keith smirked proudly, leaning back in his chair. Lance knew he had to be blushing furiously, and he was making a rather embarrassing squeaking noise, kind of like a dying mouse. But! Keith! Had! Just! Kissed! Him! Their mouths! Touching! Together! Kissing! Lance’s brain had shut down completely, and when he was finally able to string together coherent thoughts, dinner was almost over. He stayed pretty much silent for the rest of the meal, moving his food around the plate while Keith continued to bullshit his way through stories of their first date,, complimented Lance as much as possible, and acted like the perfect guy that he was. Eventually, the meal drew to a close, and Lance immediately volunteered to clean the plates tonight. Anything for him to be alone, and clear his head.

 

“Lance, sweetie, it’s your first day back! Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of everything. Mateo, can you take Leo to bed, please??” The father and son left the dining room, and Lola gathered up the dishes and took them to the kitchen, leaving Keith, Lance and Maria sitting together. Keith, who had been so confident and smooth up until then, stared at his hands, wringing them together in his lap. Maria looked from Keith to Lance, tilting her head, and then spoke to Lance in Spanish.

 

_“What’s going on? Why the hell are you two acting so weird?”_

 

Lance replied sullenly, _“Nothing’s going on, now shut up. It’s rude to speak in front of Keith when he doesn’t understand what we’re saying.”_

 

Maria sighed heavily. _“You know, at first, when Mami told me about you having a boyfriend? I really, really thought you were faking it. You know, so everyone would get off your back. But, I guess I was wrong. You clearly have a guy, and a guy who’s really into you, as well.”_

 

Lance couldn’t stop his hopes from rising. _“You - you really think?”_

 

Maria stared at him, and rolled her eyes. _“Um, yeah, idiot. Would you be dating someone who wasn’t into you? Guys are so weird.”_

 

Keith hadn’t said anything during their conversation, just fiddled with his hair. Before Lance could suggest going upstairs, Maria leapt up from the table. 

 

“I’m tired as hell, I’ll see you guys in the morning, kay? Goodnight Keith, night, Lance.”

 

She gave Lance a quick hug on her way out, and then headed to her room. Lance had the feeling that he had offended Keith, somehow, so he gave him a conspiratorial smirk and said, “Hey, after our nap this afternoon, I’m not that tired. Wanna go swim in the lake? I promise you, no fish will bite your toes off.”

 

Keith perked up. “Yeah, sure. We need to take our swim stuff out of our bags, though, and I’m pretty sure they’re at the very bottom, underneath our suits and shit.” Lance waved his hand. “Ah, it’s fine. Skinny-dipping’s how they used to do it, anyways.”Keith considered the idea for a moment, then shook his head firmly. 

 

“No thanks, I’ve seen you naked more times than I want to already,” he muttered, flushing slightly. “Need I remind you?”

 

“You’re boring.”

 

“You know you love it,” Keith winked. Now Lance was the one blushing furiously.

 

“Fine, can you get my swim stuff, too? I’ll get the towels. Last one back to our room gets to be pushed in the lake!” Lance dashed madly out of the dining room, with Keith hot on his heels. Keith was busy whining about how _“That’s not fair, you just have to take towels from the laundry room, I have to dig through all your fucking hair products, dick!”_ Lance was pretty sure he hadn’t realised how Lance had said ‘our room,’ rather than ‘my room.’ Did it matter? _Should_ it matter?

 

He brushed aside the thoughts and flung open the door to the laundry room. Towels, towels, towels. Where the hell did they keep the towels? He scanned the room, and spotted a neatly folded stack on a table. “Gotcha,” he murmured. Grabbing the first two on the pile, he sped back to his room, out of breath by the time he reached the top of the stairs. There was _no_ way Keith could have beaten him, and Lance was already dreaming up different ways to push the boy into the lake as he entered his room. So, to see Keith reclining nonchalantly on the bed in his swimming trunks was a rather unpleasant surprise. What kind of witchcraft?

 

“What? H - How? I just had to - You were - what the fuck?” Lance slumped in defeat on the floor. He had no idea how Keith had done it. The boy was probably a secret teleporting alien, or something.

 

“Aw, Lance, baby, don’t cry, it’s okay. Maybe one day you’ll finally beat me at something. But not today.” Lance scowled at Keith’s patronising tone, and stiffened when he registered the use of the pet name. 

 

“Whatever. I couldn’t care less, anyways,” He mumbled, catching the swim trunks when Keith tossed them playfully at his head. Keith nodded sympathetically, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Ugh. Lance went into the bathroom and slipped on his trunks, and with towels slung over their shoulders, the boys headed down to the lake.

  

———

 

“Lance, are you sure this is safe?” Keith asked, setting his towel down on the little wooden jetty that Mateo had built a couple of years ago.

 

“Pfft, yeah. Me and Maria would swim here at night like, _all_ the time when we were younger,” Lance said, stretching. “What, are you _chicken_?” He poked Keith in the side teasingly, and when his fingers skimmed the tips of the other boy’s abs, well, let’s just say it wasn’t unpleasant. Keith retaliated by slapping his hand away, _“You know how ticklish I am, asshole!”._

 

Lance just grinned and made to leap in.

 

“Wait!” Keith gripped his wrist, a sly smile growing on his face. “Wasn’t there something about you having to be, I think it was, pushed into the lake?” Damn it, Keith had remembered about that. Lance cursed under his breath, and exhaled deeply through his nose.

 

“If you must.”

 

Lance stood right on the edge of the planks. He shivered, as he knew the water was gonna be cold as fuck. It was nearing fall, and the nights were getting cooler, and the lake was still pretty damn cold in the height of summer. 

 

“Close your eyes,” Keith murmured softly into his ear. Christ, Lance hadn’t realised how close the two of them were. 

 

“Close my eyes? What, you gonna run off and leave me here looking stupid! I don’t think so,” He blustered.

 

“Just do it, Lance, don’t be a pain in the ass,” Keith growled, his warm breath tickling Lance’s ear.

 

“Fine.” Lance shut his eyes tightly and braced himself for the inevitable shove at his back. But it never came. Instead, without warning, two strong arms swooped him up, bridal-carry style, and before he could even react, Keith had jumped into the freezing water, with Lance cradled tightly in his arms. The iciness rushed over him, and he sputtered for breath underwater. Keith released him, and he broke through the surface, shaking his head vigorously, like a dog. Lance could feel the warmth being leeched from his body as he treaded water, waiting for Keith to emerge. Where the hell was he? Lance looked across the dark ripples that spread across the lake.

 

“Boo.”

 

“AHH! WHAT THE FUCK!” Lance yelped in shock. Keith had swum up behind him and whispered in his ear, the jerk! “Keith, I fucking hate you, you’re such a fucking - ”

 

Keith splashed at him, cutting off the insults Lance was about to hurl his way. He shuddered as the chilly beads of water hit him, and tackled Keith, wrapping his arms around his neck and legs around his middle. Essentially, he was piggy-backing him, but Lance preferred to think of it as self-defence. Keith gasped and tried to throw him off, and the two boys wrestled for a minute or so before they finally decided to truce. They separated, each trying to catch their breath.

 

“I mean, we all know I would beat you if I was _really_ trying to fight you,” Lance panted.

 

“Really, Lance? You call _that_ fighting? You just jumped on my back! That’s like, what five year-olds do!” Keith retorted. “Where did you even learn to do that?”

 

“Hey, don’t insult my style of fighting. You didn’t win, did you?” 

 

 

“I… No.”

 

“So then?”

 

“I hate you.”

 

“Nah, you don’t.” 

 

Keith responded by flicking a few droplets Lance’s way and muttering, “Okay, whatever.” The two of them were quiet for a while, with just the gentle lapping of the water against the rocks serving as background noise. It was nice, peaceful, even, with the reassuring warmth of Keith’s presence next to him as they stared at the constellations that danced throughout the sky.

 

“Uh, Lance, can I ask you something?” 

 

Lance opened his eyes and looked at Keith, who wouldn’t meet his eyes.

 

“You just did,” he teased.

 

“You know what I mean!”

 

“Yeah, sure, go on.”

 

“Earlier… You know. The uh, kiss.”

 

Right. Of course Keith had to bring it up, it’s not like they could have pretended it never happened, as much as Lance wished they could. “Yeah, what about it?” He was scared to hear what Keith wanted to say. What if he said this was all too strange and that he didn’t want to do it anymore? Lance would be fucked.

 

“I don’t know… It’s just… I didn’t even check with you to see if it was okay, and you seemed kinda pissed at me after, and I don’t know if I overstepped a boundary or something, I just thought that, like, I was supposed to be - ” Keith was tripping over his words now in haste to get them out, and Lance was. Happy? Was that normal? Maybe relieved was more accurate. Relieved that Keith didn’t hate him, that he didn’t think this was too weird.

 

“Hey, Keith, buddy, don’t worry. Seriously. We both knew what we were getting into with this, and it was totally okay with me. I was just a little…startled. But, no offence, but that could barely be called a kiss. Like, I didn’t even realise it was happening till it was over!”

 

“That’s because you’re an idiot,” Keith grumbled, but there was no heat in his voice. It was dark, with just the moonlight illuminating them, but Lance could have sworn Keith was blushing. He swallowed, and ran his fingers through his hair

 

“Um, you know, we’re probably going to have to kiss again. Like, my family’s _really_ invasive, and they’re definitely going to suspect something’s up if we aren’t super touchy feely.”

 

“Touchy feely, huh? I can do that,” Keith practically purred. “But I’m warning you now, you’re gonna regret asking me for that.”

 

Lance chuckled, and tried not to show his thoughts on his face, as they consisted of _‘Holy shit Keith is going to be kissing you in the near future and touching you and doing gross couple-y shit to you holy crap you’re so screwed.’_ Instead of blurting them out, Lance said what may have been Number 1. on the list of ‘Stupid Things Lance Said,’ which Hunk and Pidge adored updating.

 

“Well, you know, it wouldn’t hurt, to like, I don’t know, practice?” Keith raised an eyebrow, and Lance hurriedly went on. “Like, my family thinks we’ve been dating for four, six, whatever, months and wouldn’t it seem a bit odd if we didn’t even know how to kiss each other?” 

Keith’s grin spread across his face. “Lance, if you wanted an excuse to kiss me, you just had to ask. But sure, I’m all for…practicing.” He lifted himself gracefully out of the lake, and sat on the edge of the jetty, water trickling down the planes of his defined chest and abs. 

 

Lance gulped. “Like - right now?”

 

“They say there’s no better time than the present.” Keith patted the space next to him. “Come on, you’re gonna be all pruney, and that’s just gross.”

 

“Aw, Keith, do you no longer find me devilishly handsome with wrinkly fingers?” Lance teased as he hauled himself up onto the wooden planks.

 

“And when, pray tell, did I ever say you _were_ devilishly handsome?” Keith deadpanned. 

 

“Aw pssh, who wouldn’t want a piece of this?” Lance gestured towards himself.

 

“Do you want the list numbered or in alphabetical order?”

 

“You know what? Fuck you.”

 

Keith snorted, and shifted to face Lance, sitting cross legged. The reality of the situation hit Lance, and he inhaled shakily. He was going to kiss Keith. Keith was going to kiss him. They were going to kiss. Lance was in no way ready for this. So he started babbling, talking being his automatic defence system.

 

“Uh, just so you know, that was _not_ my first kiss back there, so don’t go thinking that you’re special, or something, because you’re not, and anyways it wasn't a _good_ kiss, it was average, in fact it wasn’t even average, it was more like - ”

 

“Lance,” Keith said patiently. “Please, _please,_ shut up.”

 

“Okay.”

 

His hands flew up to frame Lance’s face, and he brought their faces so close their noses brushed against each other. Lance could see every single one of the fading tiny freckles that dotted Keith’s pale skin, and he could count each and every one of the boy’s thick eyelashes. And his eyes. God, his eyes. Keith’s eyes held the depths of outer space. They contained violet galaxies, indigo nebulas, Lance couldn’t think of any other space related things at that point but they were there, in Keith’s eyes. His gaze flitted to the other boy’s lips, which were pinkish-red and shiny, Keith’s face still not fully dry from the lake.

 

“Lance, do you still want to do this?” Keith murmured, virtually speaking into his mouth. His tone was uncertain, nervous.Lance couldn’t bring himself to speak, but he exhaled, and nodded slightly. And that was all the confirmation Keith needed. He pressed his lips against Lance’s, and threaded his fingers through Lance’s hair, pulling them closer. Lance was stunned for a second, because he was actually getting to experience Keith’s kissing. When he came to his senses and kissed back, harder, Keith honest to god let out a soft moan, and immediately drew back, embarrassment riding off him in waves.

 

Lance couldn’t stop himself from whining at the loss of contact, and ignoring Keith’s soft noise of surprise, went back in for another kiss. This one was better, longer, more confident, and Lance moved so he could get even closer to Keith, to be practically sitting in his lap, and he knew it was a bad idea to do this whole fake-boyfriend deal because if he hadn’t been totally in love with Keith before, he sure as hell was now. Lance needed to get a fucking grip on his emotions, because otherwise, sooner or later, someone was bound to get hurt. He reluctantly pulled away from the kiss before it could get too heated, and sat back, breathing heavily.

 

“Okay, yeah, I think we should be fine now,” he said shortly. 

 

“Right, yeah.” Keith ruffled his hand through his hair absent-mindedly, and looked like he was on the verge of asking Lance something. There was a stagnant pause, until Lance looked down at his watch and gasped.

 

“Shit, Keith, it’s fucking 2 a.m.! Come on, quick, we gotta dry off and get upstairs or we’re never going to be able to wake up tomorrow morning. No, today morning!” The two boys hastily gathered up their stuff and made their way as noiselessly as possible back up to Lance’s room, where they collapsed into fits of giggles for literally no reason.

 

“Okay, okay,” Keith managed to get out. “We gotta change, we’re all nasty and wet from the lake.”

 

Forbidden images sprung into Lance’s head at that, and he busied himself with changing into his boxers (not Star Wars this time, just plain black), and diving under the thick blanket. Keith joined him, and the two of them lay there, comfortable in each other’s proximity. This time, when Lance closed his eyes, Keith’s arm was already wrapped tightly around him, supposedly because Keith had complained that he was _“Feeling cold, and your body temperature is unnaturally high, okay, not my fault you’re a freak of nature.”_

 

Lance had acknowledged that with a grin, and if he snuggled back against Keith more than necessary that night, well, who was to judge him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys enjoyed that chapter!!! comment below who your favourite Sanchez family member was ;))) and it would be lovely if you gave some kudos to my ever-thirsty soul ! i love u all sm and see u next time! (also, five points to you if you found the 'cradled you in my arms' reference, and ten points to you if you guess where i got the idea of 'ninja space princess' from!!)


	3. you got something i need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance needs to get a grip on his feelings, Maria is basically perfect in every way, and, yep you guessed it, kissing! (plus a little more...)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys.... i'm so so sorry for taking ages to update, i've got quite a lot going on rn, but from now on i will do my best to update regularly! apologies in advance, this is a shorter chapter than the others, and more of a filler chapter, but if i had put it w/ the next chapter it would have been like 15k and would not have been posted till like november or something lmao. hope y'all enjoy! (also, pls take notice, the rating has gone up, and take heed of the tags!)

_Keith was on top of Lance, his lips pressing messily against Lance’s mouth, and moving down to bite at his neck. Lance writhed impatiently underneath him, and grasped futilely at Keith’s shoulders, scraping his nails down the other boy’s back. Smirking, Keith kissed his way down Lance’s chest, sucking purple marks into his skin. He paused when he was right in front of the rather noticeable bulge in Lance’s boxers. Parting his lips, he ghosted his mouth gently across it, not touching, just blowing warm air. Lance couldn’t contain himself from tangling his fingers in Keith’s hair, and tugging at it slightly._

 

_“Fuck, Keith, please.” His voice was totally wrecked, he was probably looking like a mess, but he didn’t care. He needed this, he needed Keith. “Keith…”_

 

_“I’ve got you, Lance.” Keith murmured as he nipped at Lance’s thigh, and at Lance’s sharp intake of breath, soothed the mark with the flat of his tongue. He raised his head, and finally, finally, began to pull down the top of Lance’s boxers with his teeth._

 

_“God, yes, Keith,” Lance moaned shamelessly. He knew he sounded debauched, pornographic, even, but considering the situation he was in, it was more than justified. He made a low sound in the back of his throat as Keith refused to move anything faster than excruciatingly slow. When Lance’s cock sprung free from the cloth, he was already painfully hard. Keith looked up at Lance through his eyelashes, and without warning, swallowed him down in one go, velvety heat enveloping Lance’s cock. Lance couldn’t stop himself, he cried out, loud, and Keith pulled off immediately._

 

_“Stay quiet,” he warned. Lance nodded breathlessly, his eyes fixated on the tiny thread of spit dripping from Keith’s plush lower lip that really shouldn’t have been erotic, but god, it was. Keith half-closed his eyes, and sunk down, wrapping his lips around the tip of the head, but not going any further. He lapped at the pre-cum that was gathering there, and at Lance’s shudder, bobbed his head up and down, the tip of nose almost hitting Lance’s pubic bone each time he did. Lance jerked beneath him, unable to move, hands pinned to the sheets by Keith’s stronger ones._

 

_It was only a few minutes before Lance was shaking helplessly and shallowly thrusting up as much as he could, whimpering some garbled version of Keith’s name, desperate for more. Keith had a wolfish gleam in his eyes when he opened them, and when Lance choked out, “Keith, stop, I - I’m going to, oh god, I’m gonna - ” Keith just licked at his cock even harder, thumbs digging sharply into Lance’s hipbones. As soon as Lance stiffened, about to come, he pulled off. Lance nearly cried with frustration, but Keith simply said, “I’m going to swallow,” and sucked him into the back of his throat. Lance lost it. He came, shooting in spurts into Keith’s mouth, clawing at the sheets so tightly they almost ripped apart. Keith licked his lips, satisfied, and drew Lance into a heated kiss, hands swooping up to entangle themselves possessively in Lance’s hair._

 

_“Lance…” The other boy panted into his mouth. “I - ”_

 

Lance woke with a start. Raising himself up on his elbows, he shook his head vigorously, trying to organise his scattered thoughts. He looked down at himself and groaned loudly, thunking the palm of his hand against his forehead. Had he _seriously_ just had a wet dream about _Keith?_ What was he, a horny seventeen year-old all over again? Thank god it was just him alone in his apartment, ‘cause that would have been embarrassing as hell if someone had been staying over -

 

But, hold on a second, those weren’t his curtains. And that wasn’t his cupboard. Lance was _not_ alone in his apartment. He was at the family lodge, and, fuck, he was _with_ Keith, who was pretending to be his boyfriend, and they were sharing a room, and a bed, and Lance nearly cried with relief when he realised Keith wasn’t in the room. Wherever the hell he was, Lance didn’t really care at the moment, because he was too busy thanking every single holy entity he could possibly think of that Keith hadn’t been there while Lance was dreaming of him sucking his dick. Because, as far as awkward explanations go, that one would have really taken the cake.

 

He sighed heavily and rubbed his knuckles against his eyelids. He really, really, _really_ needed to sort out his feelings for Keith, because, aside from the fact that Keith definitely didn’t like him in that way, Lance honestly treasured the friendship the two of them had more than anything else. If he was the one to fuck the whole thing up, just ‘cause he couldn’t get a hold of his stupid crush, he would never be able to forgive himself. But, there was a slight pang in his chest that Keith wasn’t there, waking up next to him.

 

He let himself imagine, for just a moment, what it would have been like if he and Keith really were together. He would have opened his eyes to see Keith’s face near to his. Perhaps their hands would be clasped, perhaps their legs would be tangled together. Keith’s eyelashes would be fanned out across his cheeks, his face missing its usual scowl. Whenever Keith had stayed over at Lance’s place, Lance had never been able to drag his gaze away from the sleeping boy’s peaceful expression, so unusually serene and so, so beautiful. Maybe Lance would have woken him up by placing a soft kiss on his lips, or more likely it would be the other way around, considering how Keith was more of the early bird between the two. Maybe Keith would have said, _‘Morning, babe,’_ and would have actually meant it.

 

_‘Get over him! Get over him! He’s not that amazing! Get over him!’_ Lance chanted to himself as he got up. Ten minutes later, he was leaving the bathroom, flushed slightly. Yeah, he was 100% _not_ over Keith. 

 

Lance yawned quietly as he rummaged through his bag. Pulling on his favourite comfy grey sweats and a loose navy t-shirt, he headed down the stairs, the sound of his family’s chatter drifting up towards him.

 

Keith was sitting at the breakfast counter, listening to Leo talk animatedly about his most recently found ‘insect friend.’ Maria joined the conversation too, giving her opinion on what to do with, it’s name sounded something like ‘Gary,’ or was it ‘Gavin?’ while Mateo was watching them amusedly. Keith was looking, Lance’s heart plunged into his stomach, _amazing,_ and it was what, only eight, nine a.m.? Life just wasn’t fair. Keith’s hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, which _did_ things to Lance, and he couldn’t stop himself from going up to the boy and wrapping his arms around him, burying his face in Keith’s neck. Keith started, then realising it was just Lance, smiled and murmured, “Well, good morning to you too,” into Lance’s ear. Lance pressed a feather-light kiss against Keith’s nape, enjoying the way the pale skin blushed red slightly at the contact. 

 

“Ew, Lance and Keith are being all gross again!” Maria complained loudly. “Mami, tell them to cut it out, or I will seriously puke right here, right now!” Lance just smacked a wet kiss on Keith’s cheek, while sticking his middle finger at her over Leo’s head, and winced when she gave him a hard kick to the shin. Little sisters.

 

“Good morning, sweetie!” Lola greeted him with a smile as he walked towards her. She was at the stove, flipping pancakes. Now, waking up to a fresh batch of pancakes would normally give any twenty-one-year-old man immense joy, but in the Sanchez household? Lola making pancakes meant she wanted Lance to do her a favour. Cereal or toast meant she was tired, bacon and eggs meant she was in a good mood, and pancakes meant she needed something from either Maria or Lance. And, judging by the self-assured smirk on Maria’s face, she had managed to weasel her way out of whatever the hell his mom wanted, so it was gonna be up to Lance.

 

“Morning, Mami. Pancakes, huh?” He teased knowingly as he poured himself steaming coffee into his ‘World’s Best Big Brother’ mug he had forced Maria to buy him on Christmas a few years back. Lance had maybe been a bit too proud of himself for managing to trick his younger sister into getting it for him. He had done it by promising to get her the ‘World’s Best Little Sister’ one, so they could be matching. She had agreed, and the betrayal on her face on Christmas morning, when she unwrapped her present to see a white mug with bright red lettering saying, ’World’s Greatest Loser’ emblazoned upon it, had been priceless. Looking back, if Lance had filmed that shit, it would have gone viral for sure. He stirred an unhealthy amount of sugar into the dark liquid, and plopped down next to Keith. 

 

“Lance, baby, I’m so so sorry, but I really need you to take Leo for his ice-skating lesson today at 11 a.m. Your father and I have to drive up to the hotel, just to double-check everything’s in place for tomorrow.” Right, the anniversary was tomorrow. Lance had totally remembered that. “Maria would take him, but she has to look after Maela,” Lola continued, worriedly finding with her apron strings.

 

“Mami, it’s fine, seriously. I’d love to take Leo to his lesson.” Lance poked the little boy in his side, making him chortle and nearly fall out of his chair. “It’s gonna be so much fun! Keith, do you wanna come, or stay here?”

 

Keith stared at him like he’d grown another head. “I’m coming with you, obviously. No offence, Maria,” he amended hastily. Maria shrugged, grinning. 

 

“More time for me to spend with my _favourite_ sibling, then,” she said. An immediate, offended, synchronised _‘Hey!’_ came from the two brothers, and Lance pouted annoyedly when Keith couldn’t help himself from letting out a snort.

 

“I’m sorry, Lance, but your face!”

 

Lance sniffed theatrically. “Does no-one here even care about me? I am unloved, unwanted, _alone._ ” Maria gave him a sarcastic thumbs-up, while Leo giggled and bopped his nose. 

 

“I care about you, Lance!” The young boy insisted, an earnest expression on his face.

 

“Aw, thanks, buddy. Looks like you’re gonna be the only one who gets a special Lance hug!” Lance looked pointedly at Keith, who was attempting to stifle his giggles. “Absolutely no-one, and I mean _no-one_ else will be getting one, no matter how cute they are, and especially not if they’re my boyfriend.” Keith rolled his eyes as Lola came over to the counter, brandishing a tall stack of pancakes. 

 

“Eat up, all of you!” She told them, and turned to address her husband. “Mateo, we should be leaving soon, can you get changed? I’ll come up as soon as I’m done tidying away the plates.”

 

“Mami, we’ll take care of it. We’re responsible!” At that, Lance sat up a little straighter, nodding in agreement. “Honestly, go do your anniversary stuff!” Maria urged their mom, who clicked her tongue distractedly a few times before nodding and bustling out of the room, her husband following behind her dutifully. 

 

Lola poked her head back around the doorframe. “Oh, I almost forgot about May! She’s sleeping in her room right now, but she should be awake in around half an hour, so if Maria, you could give her some breakfast and then is it okay if she can just stay with you all?”

 

A chorus of voices expressed their assent with “Yes, Mami,” “Sure,” “Okay Mami!”, and “Yes, Mrs San - Lola.” 

 

Lola smiled relievedly, and disappeared. Lance heard her shout something to her husband, the front door bang shut, and the sound of the car engine getting quieter in the distance.

 

Maria slammed her hands down on the table, startling the rest of them. “So, we have a couple of hours to blow before you guys have to leave, what do you wanna do?” She asked as she lifted two pancakes off the pile. Lance grabbed the platter from her and dumped four on his plate, drenching them in maple syrup and ignoring Keith’s horrified expression.

 

“Eh, I don’t really mind. How about some family fun time with some old-fashioned board games?” Lance said as he took a huge bite and swallowed loudly. “It’s gotta be a competition, though. Don’t give me that ‘everyone’s a winner’ bullshii…take mushrooms!” He corrected as he remembered his ten year old brother was a part of the conversation. Leo made an awkward expression which let Lance know his mistake hadn’t gone through unnoticed.

 

Maria snorted, spearing another piece of pancake with her fork and popping it into her mouth. “Fine, fine,” She groaned. “It’s always been a competition with you, _hermano_. So how are we gonna do this, as teams, or as individuals?”

 

Before Lance could proclaim ‘Every person for themselves!’ Keith, who had been chewing his food quietly, slid an arm around Lance’s shoulder and pulled them close together. He smelt like cinnamon and maple syrup. Or maybe that was just the pancakes.

 

“I’m on Lance’s team,” He stated firmly. Lance bit his lip to stop the inevitable smile from appearing on his face. Keith wanted to be on his team? He had no idea why he found that so endearing, but he did.

 

“Fine, but then I get Leo _and_ Maela,” Maria shot back quickly. Hmm. Almost… too quickly? If Keith hadn’t claimed Lance to be on his team, Lance wasn’t so sure if his sister would have wanted Lance herself.

 

“We’re gonna crush you guys!” He declared, raising his palm up for a high five. Keith returned it enthusiastically and flushed red when Lance entwined their fingers together, gripping Keith’s hand tightly, and resting their hands on the table. Keith had fallen for the oldest trick in the book. Lance winked at the other boy, who just scoffed exasperatedly and murmured, “You have a crumb stuck on your face - next to your lip.”

 

Lance frowned, and rubbed at his mouth with his napkin. “Is it gone?”

 

Keith furrowed his brows. “No, no - move a little to your left, your _other_ left, Lance.” Lance did his best to comply, but the unimpressed look on Keith’s face told him he hadn’t done a very good job. He shook his head, and said, “God, you’re so - just let me do it!” With his free hand, he gripped Lance’s jaw, and rubbed determinedly at a spot just next to the corner of Lance’s lip. “There, gone.” Keith muttered, and sat back in his seat, not meeting Lance’s eyes at all, but still holding his hand tightly. The part of his face Keith had touched felt like it was on fire, but in a good way. Lance swallowed and, only, _only,_ to get Keith back, he turned his head and gave him a quick peck on the lips. The kiss was too short to really be called a kiss, but god, Lance had missed the feel of Keith’s mouth on his. It was really going to suck when he would have to give this up.

 

Keith met Lance’s gaze and gave him a small smile. There was a short moment of comfortable silence. 

 

“Can you guys not be so freaking couple-ly all the time? Like, is that possible?” Maria demanded, humour tingeing her voice. Leo nodded vigorously in agreement, the corner of his mouth and bizarrely, his left ear smeared with honey. Hmm, Lance wondered where the little boy got his messy eating habits from.

 

“Seriously, like, it’s gross.” His sister continued, taking a sip of her tea. 

 

Lance and Keith exchanged sly glances, and simultaneously, leaned in towards each other. Lance parted his lips slightly as their mouths met, and the sugary sweetness of Keith’s tongue was intoxicating. He was addicted to Keith, addicted to his taste, to his smell, to his everything.

 

“Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew ew! Kissing is gro-s-s-s-s-s-s!” Leo chanted, his words punctuated by giggles.

 

“No, not in front of the children!” Maria yelled, and placed her hand over her younger brother’s eyes. “Leo’s too innocent to watch you two nasties sticking your tongues down each other’s throats!”

 

Keith pulled back, soft laughter bubbling in the back of his throat. “I wouldn’t want to taint your adorable brother’s childhood, Lance,” He insisted, placing a warm finger on Lance’s lips when he attempted to go back in for another kiss.

 

“You’re such a bully, Maria,” Lance fake-grumbled as he scooped up some blueberries with his spoon. “You won’t even let me kiss my own boyfriend!”

 

“Not at the dining table, have you no manners, my dearest Lance?” Maria replied, putting on an over the top posh accent.

 

“Okay, well, first off, we aren’t even sitting at the dining table, and second of all, no manners? I’m sorry, but who’s the one who _egged her ex-boyfriend’s house?_ ” Lance retorted. 

 

“YOU EGGED THE HOUSE WITH ME, YOU IDIOT!” Maria shouted indignantly at him. “IT WAS YOUR FREAKING IDEA, FOR GOD’S SAKE!!”

 

Leo had a slightly confused expression on his face, and Keith was cracking up. His laughs came fast and loud, with his eyes crinkling up at the corners. Damn, he was cute as fuck.

 

“Maria walked in on him cheating on her,” Lance said by way of explanation. Keith tried his best, the poor darling, to look offended, but the other boy just couldn’t stop the giggles from making their way out. 

 

“Um, actually, I walked in on him being fu- uhhhh,” Maria trailed off, eyes darting towards Leo, who was contentedly drinking his orange juice, oblivious to the conversation going on. “Leo, can you go wake Maela up? I think it’s about time for her to have breakfast. I’ll come get you both in a few minutes, okay?”

 

“Sure, okay!” The young boy agreed happily, and scampered out of the room.

 

“So, your ex-boyfriend?” Keith prompted.

 

“That dick. I don’t even know why I went out with him in the first place, to be honest. He wasn;t even that good-looking.” Keith nodded supportively, and the girl continued, “Yeah, so I walked in on him cheating, right? Not only that, but he was in _my_ room, being fucked to pieces by some perverted 30 year-old dude,” Maria said matter-of-factly. Keith dropped his fork. His eyes practically fell out of his head, he was so shocked.

 

“Uh. That’s um…That’s uh. Um. Wow.”

 

“Yeah. They didn’t even notice me standing in the doorway! I was so fucking pissed, I called Lance at once, and we drove over to his house and egged the shit out of it.” Maria had a familiar gleam to her eyes that Lance saw every time he looked in the mirror.

 

“I don’t know whether to be amused, or completely fucking terrified,” Keith said.

 

Maria smirked, and crossed her arms.

 

“When it comes to Maria? Always, and I mean always, be terrified.” Lance would have said more, maybe told the story of her nearly setting the house on fire at nine years old, just because her bedtime was 8:15p.m, while Lance’s had been 8:30p.m, but at that moment, they all heard a high-pitched shriek come from somewhere else in the house.

 

“Ah, shit, the kids!” Maria exclaimed. She drained the rest of her mug of tea, jumped up and ran out of the kitchen. 

 

“So, um,” Keith began haltingly. “Should we?” He gestured towards the exit with his right arm, which is when Lance realised they had been holding hands the entire time. He flushed, and gulped down the last dregs of his coffee.

 

“Right, yeah, yeah, let’s go.” He reluctantly untangled his fingers from Keith’s, immediately missing the solid warmth. “C’mon, we have some board games to win.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp i don't know how to end chapters !! oh yea lmao also i have never written anything remotely smutty in my life, so pls tell me how i did, i would really appreciate constructive criticism! and remember, it takes less than a second to click that kudos button ;)) love as always xx


	4. stubborn love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They play some intense rounds of charades. Also, who knew Keith could sing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wOoOOOoo boy i was up till midnight finishing this and i'm still not happy with it lol but whatever. anyways a few things:  
> one - re: lance & maria's relationship, they're super super close and love each other a lot, but they're bro and sis so obviously they're gonna tease each other, but don't think they hate each other !! or anything like that !! they're both just sarcastic little shits lmao  
> two - i really try to give keith a strong personality and not just classify him as Edgy McEdgelord so tell me how i did w/ that!!  
> three - the song keith sings is called 'I Will Follow You Into The Dark' by Death Cab for Cutie, it's an absolutely gorgeous song that i highly recommend listening to while u read that part  
> uhh h that's it i guess it's one a.m. so my thoughts aren't very coherent, hope u guys enjoy this ! also pLS read the notes at the end, i need all of your opinions on something :)
> 
> aLSO y'all know how lance is now Confirmed cuban? ?? ? yea gUESS WHO HAD HIM HEADCANONED AS CUBAN IN THIS FIC - IT ME BINCH I'M SO HAPPY I LOVE MY BEAUTIFUL CUBAN SON

They had all gathered themselves in the ‘den,’ which was the only other room on Lance’s room’s floor. It was nice and cozy, with a skylight and slanted roof. Years and years’ worth of photo albums, souvenirs, and games were stacked around the room, most of them covered in dust. Maria had thrown herself across one of the couches, with Leo and Maela each sprawled comfortably on a beanbag. That left only a large armchair for Keith and Lance to squeeze into, much to Lance’s dismay.

 

For a second, he just stood there, looking at Keith, who had sat down already, not seeming to care. He exhaled silently to himself, and perched his butt on the very edge of the cushion. This could work. It wasn’t the most pleasant position, but it was better than squishing himself in next to Keith. Lance still wasn’t fully over the dream he’d had last night, as enjoyable as it had been. And the kisses earlier, well. They’d been nice, but Lance was starting to think he was in over his head. How was this going to affect their friendship when they left? Surely it would be different, now that Lance knew what Keith’s lips tasted of, or how he liked to tug gently on Lance’s hair when the kissing got heated, or the way he - and that was the thing. Lance didn’t want this to end, however fucked up the whole situation might be. He could admit to himself that he was selfish enough to want this to last longer, even though it was fake, even though Keith didn’t feel the same way about him. 

 

Without warning, a warm arm wrapped itself around Lance’s waist and pulled him back, so he was pressed up tightly against Keith’s side. “Lance, is this okay? I didn’t want Maria to think something was up,” Keith murmured softly into his hair. His hand was still resting on Lance’s hip, a firm pressure that Lance both craved and hated simultaneously.

 

“Yeah, no, it’s fine. Sorry, I was just… thinking.” Lance had to turn his head to speak to Keith, and the proximity between the two of them was noticeably smaller now. Lance gulped slightly, and winced when he saw Keith’s expression change ever so slightly. His eyes narrowed, and his lips thinned to a straight line. “Lance, do you want to talk? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

 

Fuck. “N-No, no, I’m not uncomfortable at all,” He stammered. Not good enough. Keith was frowning now, the cogs in his head visibly turning.

 

Maria seemed to sense his discomfort, and Lance thanked her a million times over for not bringing it up, instead choosing to say, “Leo, Maela, you guys wanna go grab some blankets? It’s pretty chilly up here.” The three of them left the room, Maria shooting a worried look over her shoulder as she herded the kids out.

 

Keith opened his mouth, and Lance could only think of one thing to do. He surged forwards, kissing Keith with an intensity like never before. Keith stiffened, but automatically relaxed and melted into the kiss, even with them both at such an awkward angle. It wasn’t gentle, with the two of them almost fighting for control.

 

After a brief few seconds, Keith pulled back, and splayed his fingers across Lance’s chest. “Lance, wh-” He broke off, furrowing his eyebrows.

 

Lance didn’t dare meet his eyes. The unspoken question hung heavy on Keith’s lips. _Why?_ Lance was asking himself the same thing. There was absolutely no reason for him to have kissed Keith. No-one else was in the room. So, why? 

 

“I, uh, thought we should practice more?” His tone was unconvincing, but thankfully Keith decided to drop it. 

 

His voice was subdued when he said, “Oh, okay, just let me know next time, yeah?” He shifted, and rubbed at his nose. Lance hated to see him upset like this. Of course, Keith wouldn’t want to kiss Lance unnecessarily. He wasn’t the one with a giant crush.

 

“Hey,” He murmured, and took Keith’s hand in his own. The other boy’s callused palm was warm, and a reassuring presence. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, or anything. I’m tired, ya know. I make stupid decisions when I can’t think straight.”

 

Keith grinned. “But Lance, how can you think straight, when you’re not straight either?” It was a lame attempt at humour, and they both knew it, but Lance laughed anyways, a fond smile appearing on his face as he gazed at Keith.

 

Maria chose that moment to burst in, the kids eagerly following behind her. Leo and his elder sister had piles of thick blankets stuffed in their arms, along with packets of chips and assorted candy. Maela was holding nothing but three of her stuffed lions, the magenta and red ones Lance had seen earlier, and another one, painted a cheery shade of blue. Where the hell was she getting all these toy lions from? The young girl giggled to herself, and made her way over to the two of them. 

 

“Keith.” She thrust the red lion in Keith’s face. “This is _your_ lion.” 

 

Keith took it with a smile, and said, “Thank you so much, Ninja Space Princess!” Maela nodded regally, spoiling it slightly by snickering. She was still clutching the magenta and blue lions.

 

“This is _my_ lion,” She announced to the room, waving the pink toy around. 

 

“That’s super cool, May!” Maria yelled from where she and Leo were building what appeared to be a blanket fort. All that was visible of Lance’s younger brother were a few wiggling toes, his body buried deep in a pile of pillows.

 

Maela had a smile on her face, the one that children make when they have a ‘secret.’ She swayed slightly, and rose up and down on her toes. It was clear she was desperate for someone to ask her about the blue lion. Lance sighed. Kids were too funny. Putting on an exaggerated falsetto, he asked,

 

“ _Mi angel?_ Who does the blue lion belong to?”

 

Maela squealed delightedly, eyes lighting up.

 

“The blue lion is _yours,_ Lance! All for you!” She laughed, overjoyed, and presented the stuffed toy regally to Lance, who brought it to his chest, and said,

 

“Thank you _so_ much, May! This is the _best_ present I have _ever_ received, _ever._ ” He pretended to wipe a tear away, which brought the little girl to bouts of laughter. Lance swooped the lion through the air, and aimed it at Keith. “Pow, pow, pow!”

 

Keith looked unimpressed. “What was that noise?”

 

Lance smirked. “Laser guns.”

 

“God, you’re such a mess.”

 

“You love me, though.” Shit. Lance had done it again. Would Keith care? Apparently not, as the other boy just winked at him, and said loudly, 

 

“I don’t know Lance, I think I love Maela more. She _is_ a Ninja Space Princess, after all.” Maela looked ecstatic at the compliment, and dove into Keith’s arms, hugging him tightly.

 

“I love you too, Keith! You’re the _best_ at playing lions with,” She beamed. Something tugged at Lance’s heart, seeing two of the people he loved most interacting so closely with each other. 

 

“Okay, I get it, no-one loves me. It’s fine. At least I have Ol’ Blue here to keep me company. She won’t leave me,” He said, attempting to inject despair into his tone. Keith didn’t even blink, but Maela rolled out of his arms and into Lance’s lap, hoping to cheer him up. Of course, that would have worked better if she hadn’t happened to dig her bony knee right into Lance’s crotch area.

 

“Ah, ah, ahhhhh, _fuck,_ ” He hissed under his breath, clenching his teeth against the pain. Maela seemed unaware to the damage she had done, and stared at him confusedly. Keith hadn’t seen what had happened, either, and made a face at Lance.

 

“What the hell- _heck_ are you doing, Lance?” He asked. Lance was in too much agony to speak, and made a series of wild hand gestures trying to get his point across. Were there tears in his eyes? Probably. Keith shook his head bemusedly, not understanding. For fuck’s sake!

 

“Ay, Maria!” Lance shouted across to his sister. In Spanish too fast for his youngest sister to understand, and praying Leo’s ears were covered by blankets, he told her what Maela had done. Living up to her unofficial title of ‘Shit-Lord Of The Highest Order,’ granted to her by Lance, she cracked up immediately, sinking to her knees with laughter. Lance made a squeaky noise of protest, leading her to laugh even harder.“Can you do something about it, please?” He whined, in English this time. Maria rolled her eyes, and cupping her hands around her mouth, yelled, 

 

“May, could you please come over and help me and Leo with the blanket fort? I need your professional opinion on where this pillow should go.” The young girl leapt out of Lance’s lap and darted over, eager to help. 

 

“Oh God, just - fuck me,” Lance groaned, sinking back into the plushy cushion and resisting the urge to grab his you-know-whats in his hand by clenching his fists.

 

“Um, what was that about?” Keith asked. Lance just groaned again, and leaned on Keith’s shoulder, the other boy’s hair tickling his ear. 

 

“Maela kneed me in my fucking nuts, man. No jokes allowed right now, I’m suffering.” Keith snorted, and wrapped his arm around Lance’s shoulder, pulling him close. 

 

“Aw, babe, you want me to kiss it better?” He said teasingly, eyes widening in shock as he realised what he was implying. “Uh, that’s - that’s _not_ what I meant, it was an automatic response, okay? I- ” 

Keith stammered over his words.

 

“Jesus, Keith, chill. It’s fine.” Keith nodded uncertainly, his face flushed the same colour as the lion he was holding. He made to move his arm that was draped across Lance, but Lance huffed and pulled it around him, snuggling into Keith’s toned chest. The other boy let out a short huff of laughter.

 

“What? Don’t make fun of me, I need all the comfort I can get right now,” Lance complained.

 

“You’re such a baby,” Keith murmured into Lance’s ear, his light exhales prickling against the skin.

 

“Hey, could you two stop cuddling and get over here?” Maria hollered across the room. “Me and the kids are _so_ ready to crush you guys at charades!” Before Lance had the chance to retaliate, Keith leaned over, gave Lance a lingering kiss, and sauntered over to them. Lance was briefly stunned into paralysis, his heart thumping wildly. “Hey, Lance, in this century, please!” Maria said exasperatedly.

 

“Right, right right right, sorry,” He jumped out of the armchair and skidded to a halt in front of the blanket fort. To be honest, describing it as blanket fort was rather an overstatement. It would be better to call it a heap of pillows and sheets, but hey, it was comfy, and that’s all that mattered. Lance slumped down next to Keith, cheeks fiery and lips still tingling from the kiss.

 

“Okay, everyone here knows how to play charades, right?” Maria asked. “We give a member of the other team a movie, song, or book, they act it out, the game ends when the guessing team members give up- ”

 

“Yeah, yeah, can we just start already?” Maela said, planting her tiny hand on her hip.

 

“I’m sorry, it wasn’t _me_ over there making out with my boyfriend, was it?” Maria retorted.

 

“It was one kiss, and if my boyfriend wants to kiss me, he has the right to, _pu-"_

 

“I’ll go first!” Leo piped up, trying to get everyone focused.

 

Lance beckoned the young boy over. “Alright, Leo, my man! Come over here, me and Keith will tell you what to do. Maria, Maela, cover your ears, you filthy cheaters!”

 

Shooting Lance annoyed looks, the two girls placed their hands over their ears. Lance hurriedly conferred with Keith over what to give to Leo. It had to be something he would know, as well as it being possible for Maria or Maela to guess. Keith frowned, thinking hard, then snapped his fingers.

 

“Oh, I got one!”

 

“Shhhhhh! Okay, tell us!”

 

Keith whispered the movie title to the two siblings. Leo nodded determinedly and jumped up, standing in front of his sisters. The young boy made the well-known gesture for ‘movie.’

 

“Movie!” Maria and Maela shouted. 

 

Leo nodded enthusiastically. He held up three fingers.

 

“Three words!” The girls yelled. Lance’s ears were starting to hurt.

 

Leo dropped two of his fingers, leaving one up.

 

“First word!” 

 

The boy shaped a ’T’ with his hands.

 

“The! First word is the!” Maela screamed. Leo gave her a thumbs up. Lance wondered whether he’d have permanent hearing loss by the end of the game.

 

“Second word!”

 

Leo thought for a second, then got on his knees and mimed growling, his hands shaped into claws.

 

“Um, uh,” Maria said rapidly. “Bear?”

 

Leo shook his head and continued to act.

 

“Tiger? Angry weasel?” Maria guessed. ‘ _Angry weasel? What the actual fuck, Maria,’_ Lance thought to himself.

 

Leo shook his head again, and put more fervour into his miming. Maela had been silent up till then, but suddenly, shot straight up.

 

“Lion! Lion! He’s a lion!”

 

Leo nodded excitedly, and got to his feet. As he was lifting his hand to act out the third word, Maria yelled. 

 

“The Lion King!”

 

“Yes!” Leo ran over and all three of them exchanged high-fives. Leo looked over at Keith and Lance. “C’mon, who’s going first? Maria says she already has a really good one.”

 

“I’ll go first,” Lance declared. Whatever Maria had thought of, he didn’t want Keith to suffer through. Reluctantly, he hauled himself off the blankets (and away from Keith), and went over to his siblings.

 

“Okay, my _dear_ brother, you have to act out the incredible song ‘Hips Don’t Lie,’” Maria told him, the corner of her lips turning up in a smirk.

 

“Are you serious!” Lance hissed at her. “How am I supposed to do that!”

 

“Find a way to, or you’ll lose,” Maria replied smugly.

 

“I hate you.” 

 

“Have fun!”

 

Lance groaned and got to his feet, brushing a stray feather off his arm. 

 

“You ready, Keith?” 

 

A chorus of “You’re not allowed to talk!” came from his siblings.

 

Lance raised his palms in surrender, and turned to Keith. He put his hands over his ears to imitate headphones, and bopped his head.

 

“Song?” 

 

Lance flashed Keith a smile. He held up three fingers. 

 

“Three words.”

 

Lance kept two fingers up.

 

“Second word.”

 

Lance shook his finger at Keith, like one would to a disobedient dog.

 

“Uh, no?” Keith asked. “Stop, don’t?”

 

Lance gave him a thumbs up, and held up his index finger.

 

“Okay, second word is ‘don’t.’ And this is the first word,” Keith stated.

 

Lance grinned, then pointed to his hips.

 

“Waist,” Keith guessed immediately. Lance shook his head, and pointed again, more insistent this time.

 

Keith frowned. “Um, stomach? Skinny? Waist? No, I said that already. Uh…”

 

Lance slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead. Keith was smart, how the hell had he not gotten it yet? Lance really didn’t want this to turn into some sort of lap dance, especially not in front of all his siblings. He didn’t care about being embarrassed, he loved dancing, but what if Keith found it a bit too…forward? As quickly as possible, he moved his hips in small circles. Keith looked more panicked. “Hula hooping? I…I don’t get it! Lance come on, you gotta do something else, babe.” 

 

The use of the pet name cemented it. Lance winked at Maria. Her plan wasn’t going to backfire on Lance. He thanked himself mentally for not making Keith go first. His sister raised her eyebrows, silently daring him to go ahead and do it. Lance exhaled. All or nothing, right? Lance stopped his awkward hip rotations. He relaxed his body, gyrated his hips sensually, and trailed his hands down from the top of his chest to rest them lightly on his lower torso. Keith stared at him, eyes wide, lips parted, as Lance slowly walked towards him, not breaking eye contact even though he could hear snorts and giggles coming from his siblings. He moved his hips and feet faster now to the beat in his head and when he was just millimetres away from Keith, dropped into a quick squat and rose back up smoothly, before taking a slight bow. Keith looked like a fish, his mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out.

 

There was silence for a moment.

 

Keith swallowed, and licked his lower lip. “I’m gonna go ahead and assume that was…hips?”

 

Lance wasn’t allowed to speak. So he bent down and pressed a warm kiss to Keith’s mouth, the taste of brown sugar flooding his senses.

 

“God, Lance, why are you so freaking thirsty all the time?” Maria teased him from where she was lounging across the pillows. Lance rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. “Keith, dude, you’ve gotta be able to get the song now!” His sister continued.

 

Keith sighed. “You gave him Hips Don’t Lie, didn’t you? I’m so glad that wasn’t me.”

 

“Give the man a prize!” Lance shouted, and flopped down next to Keith, basking in the familiar feel of his presence.

 

“Okay, okay, my turn now!” Maela jumped up and ran over to the two boys. “Don’t go easy on me, promise?”

 

“ Of course not, _mi angel_ ,” Lance promised her sincerely. “Can I discuss it with Keith first?” Maela nodded her approval and began examining her nails. Where had she picked that up from? Maria, probably. It was adorable, seeing the young girl act so grown-up. 

 

“So, got any ideas?” Keith breathed into Lance’s ear. 

 

“Hm, I do have a few ideas right now, if you catch my drift,” Lance replied with a wicked smile. Keith let out a short gasp and pushed at his shoulder, muttering under his breath about how ‘stupid’ Lance was, how he was ‘God, such a pain in the ass.’

 

“Seriously though, I do! Let’s give her Beauty and the Beast. It’s a super well known movie, and it won’t be too easy to act out, whaddaya think?”

 

“That…actually is a good idea. You can have the honour of telling her,” Keith lay back, leaning into Lance’s side more than strictly necessary. 

 

“May!” The little girl came closer, and Lance told her the title of the movie. She nodded, a cheeky grin growing on her face. “What? What’s so funny?” Lance demanded, but she ignored him in favour of turning to her other siblings and making the hand gesture for movie. 

 

“Movie!” Leo said excitedly. Maela’s grin grew wider, and she gave him a double thumbs up. After a moment’s hesitation, and some discreet counting on fingers, she held up four of them.

 

“Four words,” Maria said, crunching loudly on a handful of Pringles. Maela nodded, and kept one finger up. 

 

“First word,” The two siblings said in unison, high-fiving each other. Lance expected Maela to maybe point at herself, or perhaps Maria? To his shock, she ran over to where he and Keith were sitting. Aw, she thought Lance was beautiful? That was so sweet, wait, hold on a _fucking_ second, why was she pointing to Keith? That little back-stabber! Maela giggled at Lance, as if she knew what was running through his head. She smushed Keith’s cheeks with her tiny palms, and manoeuvred his head to be facing Maria and Leo.

 

“Uh, boyfriend?” Maria guessed. Maela shook her head and held up a strand of Keith’s hair, before indicating emphatically towards him in general. “Boy, guy, male, uhm, Leo, help me out here!” Keith was blushing crimson, because he knew what Maela was referring to. The young girl poked his face, and pulled at his lips to create a smile, or rather, a pained grimace. “Good-looking?” Maria joked. Maela gesticulated wildly for her to go on, to both Maria and Leo’s surprise.

 

“Um, handsome?” Leo asked.

 

“Hot?” Maria said, causing Keith to flush red even further. Lance laughed at his awkwardness, and took the other boy’s hand in his own. He was enjoying this.

 

Maria cleared her throat, and began listing words rapidly: “Gorgeous, stunning, model, handsome, attractive?” Keith buried his face in his the pillows, embarrassed as hell. Maela shook her head, distraught, clearly expecting her siblings to be smarter.

 

“Pretty?” Leo guessed. Maela’s eyes lit up and she motioned for him to keep going. 

 

“Cute? Beautiful?” Maria said. Maela nodded furiously, flailing her hands wildly and so Maria continued, “Uh, beautiful, okay, um, I don’t know, beauty?”

 

“Yes!” Maela screamed, immediately covering her mouth with her hands as she remembered she couldn’t speak. 

 

“Beauty and the Beast!” Leo yelled.

 

“You got it!” The young girl sprinted over to her other siblings and gave them all high-fives. 

 

“Okay, I think I might actually lose my hearing if we keep going with this game, guys. Also, I’m pretty sure Keith over here just died from embarrassment. So, anything else we can play?” Lance asked the group.

 

“Sure, we can play something else. You guys wanna take a snack break first?” Maria rose, heading over to the pile of food she and Leo had brought up.

 

“Food? I’m in,” Keith said, emerging from his ostrich state. Maria laughed and tossed over some packets of Doritos, more Pringles, pretzels, gummy bears, Skittles, and a large chocolate bar.

 

“Damn, this is gonna be a feast! Dibs on the gummy bears,” Lance exclaimed, snatching up the candy. 

 

“I know how much you love them, so I bought like, four giant bags last time we went grocery-shopping,” Maria told him as she broke off a piece of chocolate for Leo.

 

“I take back everything mean I ever said to you, Maria. You are my hero,” Lance proclaimed. His sister snorted with disbelief. 

 

“Hey, I think my ukulele is up here somewhere. I’m gonna try and find it, anyone wanna join me?” Maria got to her feet, dusting the pretzel crumbs off her shirt. 

 

“Me! Me!” Maela and Leo shouted. The children darted around the room, checking every nook and cranny for the instrument. Lance popped a yellow gummy bear in his mouth and took the opportunity to look at Keith while the boy was fumbling with the lid of a Pringles container. His idiotic mullet was falling into his eyes, and there was a trace of chocolate on his lower lip, and Maela was so right when she used Keith to describe the word beauty because, wow, he really was the most beautiful person Lance had ever seen.

 

“Keith?” He whispered. Keith looked at him curiously. 

 

“Yeah, what’s up?” 

 

“I just wanted to say thanks, again. Seriously, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

 

Keith rubbed his nose. “Hey, you know I’m only doing it for your mom’s food.” Lance rolled his eyes. “Nah, I’m kidding. I really, really like your family, Lance. They’re amazing. And you’re not so bad yourself, so this definitely beats moping around my apartment with nothing to do.” Keith chuckled, and Lance’s heart swelled. Even though every part of this was fake, the kisses, the cuddles, the pet names, that didn’t mean Lance couldn’t enjoy it. 

 

“I’m…I’m really glad you’re here, Keith. Leo and Maria definitely approve of you, and, I mean, Maela’s head over heels in love with you.”

 

“Hm, well, that sucks for her, because I’m already taken by the best-looking Sanchez sibling,” Keith replied, grinning.

 

“You’re dating Maria? Keith, why didn’t you tell me! Also, aren’t you gay?” Lance teased him.

 

“Oh my god, Lance, can’t you just take a fucking compliment for once?”

 

“Found it!” Maria startled them, seating herself cross-legged on a pillow, her ukulele in her arms. She strummed a few chords lightly, adjusted a peg marginally, and strummed some more. “Any song requests? And when I say that, I mean _nothing_ from the Shrek soundtrack. I’m looking at you, Lance.” Lance huffed, and crossed his arms. 

 

“I don’t even want to know,” Keith said. “But, uh, I do have a song request, actually!” He leant forward to whisper something in Maria’s ear. “I know it’s not the most well known song, but - ” Maria grinned widely.

 

“Dude, are you kidding? That’s like, one of my favourite songs _ever._ It was one of the first I learnt on this old thing,” She patted her instrument gently. “You know the lyrics, right?”

 

Keith nodded, and coughed quietly into his hand. What song had he picked? Maria thought for a second, then tapped her foot against the floor and began playing, a melancholy tune that Lance couldn’t quite put his finger on. And then Keith started to sing. Not the loud, cheesy, exaggerated crooning from the car trip. No, this was something else. His voice was just the slightest bit raspy, but it was mellow, soothing. It was home.

 

_Love of mine,_

_Someday you will die,_

_But I'll be close behind,_

_I'll follow you into the dark,_

 

The lyrics were…not what Lance had expected. They were definitely not the happiest, but they drew you in, somehow, weaving a story of two people so in love, they were willing to die for each other. 

 

 

_No blinding light,_

_Or tunnels, to gates of white,_

_Just our hands clasped so tight,_

_Waiting for the hint of a spark,_

 

Keith’s eyes had closed as soon as he had started singing, but as he reached the chorus, he opened them and smiled at Lance.

 

_If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied,_

_Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs,_

_If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks,_

_Then I'll follow you into the dark._

 

Lance made a soft noise in his throat, and reached for Keith’s hand, weaving their fingers together tightly. There was so much raw emotion in his voice, it just…There was no way to describe it. He could almost imagine Keith singing this to him, and meaning it, every word. 

 

_I'll follow you into the dark…_

 

The song ended, the last notes trailing off. Maria cracked her knuckles and set her ukulele on the floor in front of her. “Damn, Keith! Where the hell did that voice come from! Like, you could do something with that! Ever considered going on, like, America’s Got Talent?” 

 

Keith chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Trust me, I’m not good enough for that. Singing’s more of a, side hobby, let’s say. I don’t like to sing in front of other people that much, though. In fact, you guys are the first to hear me, now that I’m thinking about it.”

 

“You’re amazing, Keith!” Leo said in awe. “Are you…Are you like, bad, at _anything_?”

 

_No, because he’s fucking perfect, there’s no way he’s bad at anything._

 

“Ice-skating,” The boy confessed sheepishly. “I can’t skate to save my life.”

 

_What? Maybe I could work with that…_

 

“Well, that’s great!” Lance said sunnily. “When we take Leo for his lesson later, you and me can skate as well. Don’t worry, you can use the kiddie penguin to hold on to! And, I’ll teach you how to ice skate like a pro.”

 

“So…not like you, then?” Keith snarked back at him. Maria snorted, and thumped Keith on the back. 

 

“Nice one!” She congratulated him.

 

“I’m right here, you know.”

 

Maela, who had been uncharacteristically silent up till that point, clambered onto Lance’s lap. Lance flinched, remembering what had happened the last time she had done that. Incredibly seriously, she stared him right in the eyes, and firmly told him, 

 

“Lance, you are very lucky to have Keith. He is very good at singing. Also at playing Space Lions. He is also very pretty. Don’t lose him, or I will be very upset. I like him a lot.” Pleased with her declaration, she popped a handful of Skittles in her mouth. Lance was unsure how to respond to that.

 

Keith kissed Lance on the cheek, a barely there touch, sweet and soft, and said to Maela, “Don’t worry about Lance losing me, Princess. He’s gonna be stuck with me for a long, long time. Guaranteed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they gay. that's it that's literally this entire chapter.
> 
> oK so - i've planned out how this fic is gonna go, i know what each chapter's gonna be about. if any of u have noticed i've put that there's gonna be 10 chapters (including an epilogue) in this fic so that will most likely be the case! but tbh it might be more bc i can't control myself sometimes. this chapter, the last chapter AND the next chapter were all originally supposed to be one chapter lol. so yeah, i know where this fic is going and i'm gonna update as much as possible!! hOwever, i'm really struggling with what to do. the thing is, i really want to write a soulmate au ! i have so many ideas for it n stuff, but idk what to do so pls help me out. do u think i should either - finish this entire fic, all (hopefully) ten chapters, which will prob take me up to the end of this year ?? or, start publishing the soulmate au @ the same time, meaning this would be updated less. .. .. i have no idea what to do so let me know what u think in the comments!! 
> 
> i almost forgot! this fic is honestly just Fluff rn,, , ., but to all of u who crave that Good angst,,, believe me it is Coming!!! i have so much planned 4 this fic and there's gonna be a heckload of angst so .. . be ready my dudes....
> 
> wOw this note is almost as long as the fic lmao so - instagram: @alishswainwrightstan, hmu esp. if u wanna talk about anything voltron related! also, i legit cry everytime i see a new comment, even if it's something short like 'I love this fic!' so pLS comment/kudos, you have no idea how happy it makes me!! seriously i love u all so much thank u so much 4 supporting me..... . .y'all are the Best ilysfm


	5. just say you won't let go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ice skating, and a small matter of Lance getting flirted with...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woo o o i worked my ass off to get this uploaded today !! here it is - the highly anticipated ice skating chapter! umm there's a lil bit of angst near the end but nothing major lol.... the Tru angst will come later :):))::):)::;;):)
> 
> also, this chapter is dedicated to @spoopyvoltron and @xchocozebrax (instagram) because they've both been so supportive and sweet ! ilysfm guys <3
> 
> hope you enjoy this chapter :)

The time on the antique wooden clock hanging on the wall read 10:45 a.m., and Lance and Keith had just beaten Maria, Leo and Maela in the most intense game of Monopoly any of them had ever played in their lives. Lance sagged back into the beanbag.

 

“How the _hell_ did we pull that off, again?” He said to the group at large. “Like, I don’t think I’ve ever actually won a Monopoly game in my life. I’m glad I didn’t go solo, because damn, we are a good team, Keith.”

 

“I still can’t believe it.” Maria complained. “Keith, you were the banker, you had to be cheating, c’mon, admit it. I made you banker because I thought you wouldn’t have the sibling rivalry like me and Lance! How could you betray me like this!” She scowled and crossed her arms, clearly annoyed at her loss. Served her right, when she and Lance were younger, she would cheat at every game they played, and when confronted, would just bat her eyelashes and act innocent.

 

Keith snorted and lay back in between Lance’s legs, resting his head casually on Lance’s chest. Lance resisted the urge to thread his fingers through the other boy’s hair. “Nope, no cheating over here. Me and Lance, we’re just amazing,” Keith smirked.

 

“Well then, I challenge you to a re-match!” Leo shouted, causing Lance to utter a quiet groan. The first game had taken them at least an hour and a half, and he wanted to play again? Lance didn’t want to down the boy’s spirits though, so he resigned himself to another game.

 

“I’d love to play another round, Leo, and I’m sure Lance and Keith would love to as well,” Maria cut in. “But you guys have got to get ready to leave for your ice-skating lesson, Leo! It’s in forty-five minutes, and the drive alone is like, half an hour.”

 

Shit, Lance had almost forgotten! “Yeah, sorry buddy,” He told his younger brother. “Can you get changed, and meet us at the front door in say, ten minutes?” Leo pouted, then nodded and slouched out of the room. “Keith,” Lance murmured. “I can’t exactly…get up. You’re kinda lying on top of me.”

 

Keith immediately got up, rubbing at his nose with his knuckles. “Sorry. Um…should we get changed, too?”

 

“Yeah, unless you want to go ice skating in your pajamas,” Lance teased him. He hauled himself to his feet, and stretched, yawning. “Come on.” 

 

The two of them made their way to Lance’s room, a comfortable silence draped over them. 

 

“So, uh,” Keith began. “I don’t…skate, at all. Like, I think I’ve gone ice skating once, maybe twice?”

 

“That’s fine, don’t worry,” Lance reassured him. “I won’t judge you, and anyway, it’s pretty easy to pick up. Don’t think I’m some sort of expert.”

 

Keith shook his head “No, it’s not that. Um, the thing is, I don’t know what to wear?” He asked a little sheepishly.

 

Lance snorted, then realised Keith was serious. “Oh, Keith. You can wear whatever you want! It depends on how cold you get, to be honest. You want to be comfortable. But I wouldn’t recommend jeans.” Keith nodded, looking more relaxed, and moved to his bag. He ruffled through it, and held up some clothing.

 

“Is this okay?” He asked. “It’s pretty much all I have that isn’t jeans or sweatpants.” Lance squinted at the clothes. Was it…No. It couldn’t be. Was Keith seriously on a one man mission to personally _destroy_ Lance’s sanity? Keith was holding a pair of black tights. Tights. He was going to ice skate in fucking tights, and Lance was gonna have to watch him, and he was going to physically combust, ice be damned. He made a series of incoherent noises. “Um, Lance?” Keith said confusedly.

 

“Yeah, tights are fine!” Lance managed to get out, nearly shouting at the other boy. “I mean, it’s what professional figure skaters wear, so there’s no reason for you _not_ to wear them, it’s not like they’re a safety hazard, or anything like that.” 

 

“Oo-kay,” Keith said, sounding not entirely convinced. Lance _had_ to get him back, make him feel at least as half as what Lance was going through. 

 

“Look, I’ll wear tights too! That way we’ll both…be wearing…tights,” He finished lamely. Keith stared at him for a second, then said, ‘Um, okay,’ and went into the bathroom. Lance heard the sink running briefly, and flopped onto the bed. Had he seriously just said that? God, he was a mess. Getting up, he opened his bag. He pulled out some navy tights and a loose grey shirt, and changed quickly. Keith still wasn’t done when he had finished, which was kinda weird. Lance went over to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

 

“Huh? Oh sorry, uh, you can come in if you want to,” Keith called from inside. Lance pushed the door open to see Keith standing in front of the mirror, shirtless. He was twisted around, inspecting a thin, but long cut across his upper back. 

 

“Woah, what happened? Are you okay?” Lance asked, moving closer.

 

“I’m fine,” Keith shrugged dismissively. “It just stings a bit. I think I cut myself on a rock, or something, in the lake last night.”

 

“Jeez, Keith, why didn’t you tell me! I think I have some antiseptic cream you can use.” Lance bent down and rummaged through the cupboard under the sink. He found the tube with a triumphant grin, and straightened up. Keith didn’t say anything, just looked at him expectantly. “Um…”

 

“I can’t exactly reach it,” Keith explained patiently. “Do you mind…?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure, of course,” Lance agreed, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. “This is gonna sting like hell though, so be warned.” Keith ground his teeth and nodded mutely. Lance squeezed a blob of cream onto his fingers and hesitantly applied some to the wound. Thankfully, the cut was shallow, and didn’t seem to be too serious.

 

“Fuck…” Keith gritted out, arching his neck reflexively. “That hurts like a son of a bitch - ah!” Lance winced in sympathy, and continued to smooth the medicine onto the cut, attempting his best to ignore the way he could feel Keith’s muscles tensing and shifting under his touch. Desperately, he tried to think of something to say, to distract both him and Keith.

 

“Hey uh, dude, totally unrelated, but you are really, really, fucking tense. Like, ‘I work in the office all day bent over a PC,’ tense. I’m pretty good at back massages, if I do say so myself, so, if you want, later, I can…” He trailed off, meeting Keith’s gaze in the mirror. Obviously he was going to refuse. Kisses in front of the family were one thing, shoulder massages were another. The line between ‘Okay, this is platonic,’ and ‘Nope, this is really fucking gay,’ was getting more and more blurred.

 

“Sure, why not?” Keith shrugged, then hissed in pain as the movement caused the cream to go in deeper. Had Lance really just offered Keith a shoulder massage? And had Keith accepted? It was like Lance was signing himself up for more torture.

 

“Well, that’s the last of it!” He gave Keith a thumbs up and moved around him to wash his hands in the sink. “Are you sure you still want to ice skate with that cut? You don’t have to, you know. Maria’s more than happy to spend time with you, though I would be kinda nervous about the stories she might tell you about me.”

 

Keith chuckled. “Lance, I told you, I’m fine. Thanks for the cream. Now come on, let’s go. I’m sure Leo is waiting impatiently for us.” He pulled his dark grey and unnecessarily tight T-shirt on and left the bathroom. Lance hurried after him, not wanting to have to look at his blushing reflection a second longer.

 

———

 

They were cruising down the open road, wind streaming into Lance’s face. He was driving, Leo sat beside him. The young boy had quickly called shotgun, to Keith’s dismay, and Lance wasn’t going to argue. Keith had sulked for a second before stretching himself out in the back, propping his feet up. No-one was speaking, letting the roar of the car engine and the whistling of the breeze provide background noise.

 

“So, Leo, do you really like ice-skating?” Keith asked the boy, breaking the silence.

 

“Yes! I like it almost as much as Lance does,” He beamed. 

 

“Lance, you never told me of your love for ice-skating,” Keith prodded the back of Lance’s shoulder.

 

“Hey, don’t poke me when I’m driving! And I don’t _love_ ice-skating. I used to do it a lot, especially when I lived here, but since I left, I don’t really have time to anymore,” He explained, keeping his eyes firmly on the road. Keith hummed in understanding and sat back. The rest of the drive passed without incident, and they pulled up to the ice skating rink with ten minutes to spare before Leo’s lesson started.

 

“You brought your skates, right?” Lance checked with the young boy as they walked in.

 

“Yeah, but you need to help me put them on,” Leo tugged at his hand to lead him to the benches.

 

“Okay, let me go get my skates first, then I’ll come help you, is that okay?”

 

Ten minutes later, the boy was skating happily around the ‘lesson’ rink with his instructor. Lance smiled and laced up his skates, Keith sitting beside him. “You ready?” Lance asked the other boy.

 

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess,” Keith got to his feet and immediately fell back down on his ass. Lance may have laughed a little. “Shut up!” Keith blushed furiously, and grabbed Lance’s shoulder tightly. “Help me,” He demanded. 

 

Lance snorted and helped him up, wrapping one arm tightly around Keith’s waist, and together they wobbled their way to the rink. They had managed to walk about three metres before Keith stumbled and nearly fell, hands clutching wildly at Lance’s side. Lance steadied him with a laugh and a murmur of “You alright there, babe?” into Keith’s ear.

 

“You know what? Fuck you, Lance,” Keith muttered, not letting go of his death grip on Lance’s shoulder. The two of them took tiny steps to the ice, moving so slowly it seemed like Leo’s lesson would finish before they actually got to skate.

 

“C’mon Keith, you can do it!” Lance encouraged the other boy as he tiptoed uncertainly on to the ice, looking like an ungainly baby giraffe. Lance kept a firm hand on his lower back, not wanting Keith to fall and break his neck, because as funny as Keith failing at something would be, a serious injury wouldn’t be great. Keith was clutching the bannister with one hand, his knuckles white with pressure. “Lance, don’t you dare move your hand, I swear to God I’ll kill you - ”

 

“Ease up on the death threats dude, I’ve got you,” Lance assured Keith, stepping smoothly on to the ice next to him. “Okay, so it’s a lot easier to move than just stand still, so let’s begin. All you’ve got to do is kind of like, stamp on the ice with your right foot, then push forward by sweeping your right foot back. Then do the same with your left foot, and then your right foot again, and you’ll be ice skating!” 

 

“You make it sound a lot easier than it actually is,” Keith grumbled, attempting to follow Lance’s instructions and, well, failing miserably.

 

“Here, just hold on to the hand rail for a sec and watch me, ‘kay?” Lance removed his palm from Keith’s back and skated gracefully a few metres in front of him, enjoying the familiar feel of the crunch of ice underneath his skates. He spun effortlessly and skated back to Keith, coming to a halt in front of him. “Did you see my feet? Or should I show you again?”

 

Keith shook his head hastily. “No, I’m good, I think I’ve got it now.”

 

“Okay, well, try and skate to me. I promise I’ll catch you if you fall,” Lance winked at him and held out his arms. Keith rolled his eyes and set his jaw. Nervously, still holding on to the bannister, he stomped on the ice with his right foot and tried to push off. Unfortunately, he pushed a bit too hard, and the momentum led him to trip over and fall directly into Lance’s waiting arms.

 

“Looks like you really _fell_ for me, huh,” Lance teased, gazing down fondly at the boy in his embrace.

 

“Oh my god, Lance, shut up, you’re such a loser,” Keith sighed and pushed himself up, steadying himself by grabbing on to Lance’s shoulders. They were so close, Lance could see the tiny exhales of frost coming from Keith’s lips. If Lance leaned forwards just one more millimetre, their noses would brush, their lips would meet. He wanted to, so, so badly. But this wasn’t actually a date, Keith falling for him was merely in the physical sense, and he certainly didn’t feel that way about Lance.

 

“Well, that didn’t work, let’s try something else,” Lance said brightly, and settled his hands on Keith’s hips. “I want you to do that again, with slightly less power this time, okay?” 

 

“But - we’re holding on to each other, what are you gonna do?” Keith asked.

 

“Just listen to me!”

 

Keith exhaled heavily. “Fine.” He started to skate, his movements jerky and rushed. Lance began skating backwards gently, matching the other boy’s pace. Neither of them of them spoke, Keith too focused on his feet, Lance not wanting to distract him. As they progressed, Keith seemed to be feeling more comfortable, his motions becoming more fluid and less shaky.

 

“Dude, you’re really getting the hang of it now!” Lance exclaimed.

 

Keith looked up and smiled happily. “You think?”

 

“Absolutely. I’m gonna let go of you now, okay? Keep moving, though, don’t stop. I’ll be right here if you need me.” Keith nodded, and Lance released his grip on him and moved backwards quickly, keeping a space of about two metres between them. Keith hesitated at first, then started to skate towards Lance, arms spread out. “That’s it, you got it,” Lance encouraged him, grinning. They skated like that for a whole lap of the rink, before Keith collapsed into Lance’s arms, giggling like an idiot. Lance grabbed his hands and spun the other boy around in circles, ignoring the tugging feeling in his chest.

 

“Oh my god - Stop - Stop, oh my god Lance stop! I’m gonna throw up,” Keith’s face was red and he was panting from exertion. Lance was laughing so hard it hurt.

 

“C’mon, now that you can skate half-way decently, let’s do some laps together,” Lance said and snuck one arm around Keith’s waist, leaning his head on the other boy’s shoulder. Keith snorted, and together, they skated slowly, enjoying the warmth and comfort of each other’s presence.

 

———

 

“Can I get three hot chocolates, please?” Lance asked the girl at the cashier. After Leo’s lesson had finished, the boy had clamoured for a sweet drink, namely a hot chocolate from this specific café next to the ice skating rink. Lance had agreed, mainly because he was craving something sugary as well. Leo and Keith were currently looking at the desserts in the display tray, pointing out their favourites to each other.

 

“Would you like whipped cream on them?” She asked, smiling. 

 

“Sure, why not, Abigail,” Lance replied, spying the name written on her employee’s tag. It would be funny to see Keith with a whipped cream moustache.

 

“Alright then, that’ll be eight dollars and forty cents, please,” Abigail fluttered her eyelashes and curled a strand of her wavy blonde hair around her finger. Was she - was she _flirting_ with him? Lance hurriedly counted out the change and dropped it in her palm. Yeah, she was pretty, he wasn’t gonna deny that, but - Keith. Abigail took the money from him, their fingers touching a second too long. Lance had to wait for her to make the hot chocolates, and awkwardly stood next to the counter while she poured milk and pulled out mugs. 

 

“So, do you live near here? I’ve not really seen you around, and I would never forget a face like yours,” She asked, a coy smile on her lips.

 

“Uh, no, I don’t live here. Just visiting my family,” Lance said, tapping his fingers on the counter top absent-mindedly. How long did it take for milk to boil again?

 

“Aw, that’s too bad. It’d be nice to see a good-looking person in here once in a while,” She smirked. “Usually, it’s just middle-aged moms, screaming kids and old people,” Abigail rolled her eyes, and tipped some powder into a pot. Lance wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he laughed awkwardly and shuffled his feet. “Well…maybe you could get a random craving for hot chocolate at around, let’s say, 4:00p.m, tomorrow? That’s the time I get off my shift,” Abigail grinned. Lance swallowed. 

 

“Uh, the thing is, I can’t really do that…” He trailed off as a puzzled expression appeared on Abigail’s face. He didn’t want to rebuff her too harshly, she seemed like a nice person.

 

“Hey, babe, what’s up?” Keith’s silky voice came out of nowhere, his arm sliding around Lance’s waist and his lips pressing against his cheek. Abigail stared for a second, eyes widening in realisation.

 

“Oh, nothing,” She said, a steely edge to her tone. “I was just talking to your _boyfriend_ over here. He seems sweet, you’re a very lucky guy.” Keith nodded and tightened his grip on Lance’s waist. 

 

“I am,” He replied coolly. Abigail splashed the hot chocolate into the mugs, sprayed whipped cream on them violently, and slammed them on to a tray on the counter.

 

“Weird then, that he was about to agree to go on a date with me tomorrow, huh?” Her voice was ice-cold, hurling the words sharply. Keith didn’t even flinch. 

 

“Really, is that so?” He asked, tone dripping with mockery. “Because, from what I overheard, he was about to reject you. Don’t worry, I can do it for him. My boyfriend will not be going on a date with you tomorrow, or any other day in the future. Thank you for the hot chocolates. Have a nice day!” Keith removed his arm from Lance’s waist and picked up the tray, ignoring Abigail’s dumbfounded expression. “C’mon, babe, let’s find a table.” Lance followed him obediently, not making eye contact with the furious girl. 

 

Leo joined them and they sat down at a low table surrounded by comfy armchairs and pouffes. Lance picked to sit in a love seat with Keith, their legs pressed against each other. Leo chugged his drink quickly, burped into his hand, and turned to Lance with beseeching eyes and asked, “Lance, can I _please_ go play in the jungle gym? It’s right across from here,” The young boy pointed at the large, colourful structure that claimed it was called ‘The Boonatri Rainforest.’ 

 

“Okay, but be careful, alright?” Lance told him. Leo nodded eagerly and ran off, a smear of hot chocolate adorning his cheek.

 

Humming quietly to himself, Keith took a small sip of his drink. “Mmm, this is really good. I can tell it was made with love,” He deadpanned. Lance snorted, and lapped up some of the whipped cream with his tongue, savouring the creamy sweetness. 

 

“So, you were flirting with other girls, hmm? I don’t know how to feel about that,” Keith said, casually stirring his hot chocolate.

 

“Shut _up_ , you said yourself you heard what was going on,” Lance pushed at his shoulder. The other boy raised his eyebrows, then said, more softly, “You weren’t actually gonna accept, were you?” Keith sounded serious, worried, even.

 

Lance shook his head madly. “Keith, of course I wasn’t going to. Why would I want to go out with her, when I have the most perfect guy in the world sitting right next to me with a blob of whipped cream on his bottom lip?” Keith furrowed his brow, and Lance stared at him, daring the other boy to argue. He had meant every word of it. Keith was, in Lance’s honest opinion, the most perfect guy in existence. 

 

Keith gulped down some more of his hot chocolate, and mumbled, “Lance…I, uh, I know this is all fake, but…”

 

Holy shit, was he about to say…

 

“Everything about this is fake, so you - you don’t need to say stuff like that to make me feel better. I know if I hadn’t been here, you would have gone out with that Abigail girl. I just - I feel like I’m a burden on you, sometimes, you know? She seemed genuinely interested in you, and now she hates us both, and we aren’t even actual boyfriends, but now she’s glaring at me like I’m the dirt on the bottom of her shoe, and I’m just - I - I’m sorry. Lance, I’m really not worth all of this. I’m not perfect. I’m - I’m a really shitty person, actually.” Keith’s voice broke, and he stared into his hands, fiddling with a ripped up napkin. His eyes were wet. Lance was speechless. He hadn’t expected any of that. He took one of Keith’s hands in his own, and stroked up and down with his thumb.

 

“Keith, listen to me, okay? You are _not_ a shitty person, at all. You are one of the best people I’ve ever met. You are so, so, kind to the people you love. You are caring, and gentle, but you’ve got a strength to you that most people can only hope to possess. You agreed to be my fake boyfriend, for fuck’s sake, even though you aren’t getting anything out of it. How many other people would have done that?” Keith opened his mouth to protest, but Lance kept talking, not letting him get a word in. “Keith, please believe me when I say that I would never have gone out with Abigail, whether you were here or not. I’m serious. She was making me uncomfortable, and I’m so glad you stepped in because I had no idea what to do. I - I need you. Yes, this has all been fake, but it’s been the most fun I’ve ever had.” He released his grip on Keith’s hand, and exhaled quietly. At least now, almost everything was out in the open. He could only pray that he hadn’t scared Keith off.

 

Keith finally looked up at him, staring right through him with those big, dark eyes that Lance was so weak for. “I…These have been some of the best days of my life, so far. Thank you. For everything. Really. The world doesn’t deserve you, Lance Sanchez.” Lance smiled at him, not caring if the emotion he was feeling showed on his face, because right now, Keith was the only thing that mattered. 

 

“Hey,” He murmured. “Is Abigail still mad at us?” Keith craned his neck and nodded, grinning. 

 

“She’s scrubbing dishes with a vengeance, and shooting daggers at us with her eyes, so yes, I would say she’s still mad at us.”

 

“Good, because I want her to be watching when I do this,” Lance said, and leant in to kiss Keith. Keith’s hands instinctively surged upwards to thread through Lance’s hair and pull him closer, their lips colliding in a rush of molten chocolate and sugar and cream, tastes and smells overpowering Lance’s thoughts until all he could even begin to comprehend was Keith, Keith, _Keith._ Keith seemed to be facing the same issues, because his eyes were half-closed, just like Lance’s, and he didn’t seem to care about the pointed looks some of the other customers were giving them, but maybe that was because he hadn’t noticed. 

 

When they drew apart, seconds later, or was it minutes later, their breaths mingling, Lance couldn’t help but press a quick kiss to the side of Keith’s mouth, revelling in the way Keith’s breath caught.

 

“You, uh, had some whipped cream,” Lance gestured, and Keith smiled disbelievingly. “You did!” He defended indignantly. “Now c’mon, we should finish our drinks and leave. We aren’t getting very friendly looks from people, for some reason.” Keith rolled his eyes.

 

“I don’t give a flying fuck about homophobic assholes. If they don’t like me kissing my boyfriend, well, sucks to be them.” Lance pretended not to hear the way Keith’s voice caught on the word ‘boyfriend.’ Even after all of that, Keith still wasn’t down with the fact that he was pretending to be Lance’s partner. It was fine. Lance hadn’t exactly expected Keith to confess feelings of love to him just because Lance had essentially called him the epitome of humanity. Except, maybe, in some tiny, unwanted, hopeful part of his brain, he had. But it didn’t matter. Keith was happy, so Lance was happy, too. He drained the rest of his now more of a ‘lukewarm chocolate,’ and got to his feet, cracking his knuckles obnoxiously loud.

 

“Ugh, you know I hate it when you do that,” Keith complained, stretching out an open palm, the meaning clear. Lance huffed exaggeratedly and helped the other boy to his feet, and when the two of them walked out of the café to get Leo, Lance held on to his hand, swinging their arms playfully, ignoring the growing pain in his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he was totally staring @ lance's ass when he was skating... ..,,.,. keith u ain't slick my dude.....
> 
> um yea that's about it... hmu on insta @galaxyklance to find me screaming and shitposting about voltron
> 
> in the next chapter - they have to go and rent suits for the anniversary so there will be a lot of Thirst going on ,,...,, plus you guys will see keith's pov !!!
> 
> thank you all so much for the overwhelming support, you guys are the best <3 and remember it only takes a second to leave kudos + i'm always a slut for positive comments!! ;))


	6. tear in my heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Probably not what you expected. Like, at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hol y cow? ?? ?? i'm so so so sorry for taking ages to update this guys it's just been kinda rough getting this chapter up. the end notes are gonna be a bit longer and i recommend u read them pls!! 
> 
> ok so some facts - i'm sorry but there are no suits just yet!!! that's the next chapter i promise :)) also, this chapter is a hell lot angstier than i planned it to be, keith is fuckign emo as heck im SORRY ! please take heed of the updated tags and also please let me know if u need anything to be tagged/think i should tag something bc im really shitty at tagging stuff sorry :( i really don't want anyone to get upset so please please let me know!!
> 
> i guess that's it so - enjoy ! & i actually don't hate my writing for once so :'))
> 
> oH YEA ALSO KEITH POV WHICH IS !!! NEW AND EXCITING AND DIFFERENT TO WRITE SO !!!!!

“Keith, would you like some more chicken, sweetie? You’ve barely eaten anything _at all,_ ” Lola said to the boy, having made it home in time to cook lunch for the family. That was good, because Lance would have probably burnt down the entire house trying to make anything barely edible for them to eat.

 

“No, but thank you, Lola. I’m completely stuffed. Your food is amazing, how do you do it?” Lance’s mom laughed gently and squeezed Keith’s shoulder tightly. Lance saw the way Keith subconsciously leant into the motherly gesture, and looked down, suddenly very interested in his food. He’d always tried to make Keith feel as welcome and as loved as possible by his family. It was the least he could do. He was eternally grateful to his mom for picking up on Keith’s feelings and providing the support only a mother could give.

 

“What are you guys planning to do now, then?” Lola asked, heaping another serving of vegetables onto Maria’s plate, much to her annoyance. 

 

“I don’t know, maybe we’ll swim or take a nap, or something,” Lance stretched his arms up, curving his back. He was kinda tired from the ice skating, so a quick snooze didn’t sound too bad at all. Leo whispered something to Maela and the two of them glanced at Keith and Lance and immediately burst into giggles. Lance narrowed his eyes at the two of them. Kids. They were nuts, but he loved them. He turned his gaze to Keith, who was sipping his water and smiling at Maela. Without any warning, he darted his head forwards and pressed a small kiss against his cheek, revelling in the way it barely even shocked the other boy anymore. How the hell had he been lucky enough to be here, with Keith, again? If you had told the Lance of four years ago that the boy way out of his league who he was currently crushing on would one day be sitting in Lance’s family lodge, eating lunch with Lance’s family, with Lance able to kiss him whenever he wanted to, he would have laughed in your face and said, “What do you take me for, some kind of idiot?”

 

But Keith _was_ here, and Lance was going to make the most of it. Keith’s hand lay palm up on the table, and so Lance interlocked his fingers with the other boy. Their hands fit together so perfectly, Lance wondered if they had been made for each other.

 

“Okay Lance, that’s a bit gay, even for your standards,” He muttered to himself.

 

“What?” Keith asked.

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Ah ,shi -sugar!” Lola exclaimed. “I almost forgot! You boys have to go get your suits for tomorrow! God, how did I not remember?” Jumping up from the table, she went and grabbed her large handbag from where it was on the couch. She rummaged through it haphazardly and produced a small slip of crumpled pink paper. “I already picked them out for you two, because no offence, sweetheart, but I don’t trust your fashion sense.” Lance gasped in mock outrage. Ignoring him with a smile, Lola went on. “All you have to do is give this slip to the guy at the tailor’s and he’ll give you the suits, but please try them on and see if they need to be adjusted before you leave, okay?” 

 

She handed the paper to Lance, who slipped it into his wallet. “Got it, thanks Mama! Come on Keith, let’s go. You can ride shotgun this time,” he winked. Keith rolled his eyes and stood, with a wave to and the two of them walked out of the room. Lance had to bite his lip to keep himself from smiling when Keith casually slung his arm around Lance’s waist as they made their way to the car.

 

———

 

After forty minutes of singing obnoxiously loudly to Lance’s ‘Fuck yea’ playlist, (which was pretty much just Britney Spears and Beyoncé), they arrived at the tailor’s. It was an old-fashioned, cozy little shop, looking out of place tucked away in between a large chain supermarket and a shiny new pharmacy. Lance searched around for a parking space, but the closest one was quite a way away from the tailor’s shop. He drove back to the entrance of the shop and stopped the car.

 

“Here, take my wallet and give the guy the paper. You can try on your suit and see if it needs to be altered while I’m finding a place to park,” Lance told Keith. 

 

“Lance don’t worry, it’s fine, I don’t mind staying with you,” Keith replied, wrinkling his brow.

 

“No!” Lance practically shouted at the other boy. “Uh, I mean, it would be more, uh, _efficient_ if you went in right now, so that when I come in, I don’t have to wait for you, ya know?” He prayed that he sounded convincing enough. Keith tilted his head curiously, then shrugged an unspoken ‘Okay’ and got out of the car. Lance took his phone out of his wallet and gave the wallet to Keith, and as the other boy walked towards the tailor’s, let out a sigh of relief. Now, at least, he wouldn’t have to look at Keith wearing a suit any longer than necessary, thank god. Lance had been a bit worried if he had had to watch Keith change into a suit, he may have just died right there on the floor. He could barely handle Keith in sweatpants, come on! Well, his genius idea had taken care of that. Lance whistled a happy tune as he manoeuvred his way towards the last parking spot, beating an irritated looking woman to it. 

 

“Sorry, Karen!” Lance snorted as she flipped him off angrily. He raised his shoulders in a ‘What can you do’ fashion and watched her furiously speed away in her orange Ford minivan. Now, how long would it take Keith to finish trying on his suit?

 

———

 

Keith placed a hand on the cool surface of the doorknob and pushed, entering a warmly lit waiting room. Four chairs were stood against the wall by a table of assorted magazines, two of which were occupied by men engrossed in their phones. At the far end of the room there was a front desk, which had a plump, thirty-something year-old lady sitting behind it, tapping away on a computer with her peach painted nails. Keith walked up to her and placed his hands on the counter.

 

“Hi, uh, I’m here to try on a suit? I, um, I have this slip,” He pulled the paper out of Lance’s wallet and waved it around. The woman, whose name tag said she was called ‘Victoria,’ took it from him and inspected it closely.

 

Victoria pointed at a messy pen scribble at the bottom of the paper that Keith could definitely not read, let alone understand. “This right here says there should be two of you?” She asked, accent posh and British. 

 

“Oh uh, yeah, that,” Keith scratched his neck. He didn’t really like dealing with strangers. As a teen, he had struggled a lot with social anxiety, and even though he’d had counselling, that didn’t stop it from flaring back up again now and then. “Uh, well, um, my boyfriend’s just parking and he’ll be here soon. What do you think I should, uh…?” He trailed off uncertainly.

 

“Oh, honey, that’s okay! These gentlemen you see sitting here are before you, anyways, so there’s more than enough time for your boyfriend to get here,” Victoria smiled sweetly. “Would you like to take a seat?” She pointed to the last chair on the row. Keith would have preferred to stand, but didn’t want to seem rude, so he took the seat next to a portly man. Just then, a woman and a young boy appeared from the inside of the shop.

 

“Thank you, Mr Guillermo! We’ll come back tomorrow,” The woman shouted, and then dragged the boy past Keith, hissing angrily “Do _not_ embarrass me like that again, Henry, understand me!” The boy’s face was red and tear-streaked as the pair strode out of the shop.

 

‘Yikes,’ Keith thought. ‘Wonder what Henry did.’ He nibbled at his lower lip absent-mindedly, then pulled out his phone from his pocket. He’d send Lance a text. It shouldn’t be taking him _this_ long to park. To Keith’s dismay, the movement caused Lance’s wallet to fall out as well, scattering most of its contents upon the elegant carpet that adorned the floor. 

 

“Shit!” He muttered, and dropped to his hands and knees, grabbing at a rolling coin. 

 

“Oh my! Dear, do you need any help?” Veronica exclaimed from her desk.

 

“Oh no, no, no, don’t worry, I’m fine,” Keith assured her, fighting the waves of embarrassment rolling over him. He hurriedly scrunched up the last of the dollar bills in his palm and flopped back down in his chair, not making eye contact with anyone else. Opening the wallet to put the money back in, he frowned when he spotted a shiny corner of _something_ poking out. He shouldn’t have pried, it was Lance’s wallet, but his curiosity got the better of him. Keith tugged at the object, and pulled it free of the tight pocket. 

 

Well, fuck. This just made everything a whole lot harder.

 

It was a photo. But not just a photo. It was a selfie, of Lance and him. It had been taken in Lance’s apartment, on the couch. Keith had clearly been surprised mid-laughter, his eyes bright as he gazed at Lance, who had his face pressed up against Keith’s cheek. Lance’s eyes were squeezed closed, his tongue poking out slightly between his teeth and his cheeks were an adorably flushed pink. The photo was blurry yet beautiful, but most of all, it was purely Lance and Keith. 

 

Keith couldn’t stop the fond smile from appearing on his face as he gazed at the photo. It was really, really sweet. He didn’t remember taking this exact photo, but the memories from that day washed over him. Exploring the museum, taking silly pictures with naked statues and admiring the intricate paintings. Running around the lake, feeding ducks and laughing, at that point still unsure whether it was okay to hold hands or not. And in the evening, strolling through the park, Keith’s head resting comfortably on Lance’s shoulder. Pointing out different cloud shapes to each other, the warm colours of sunset a stunning backdrop.

 

Keith let out a soft sigh. Why had Lance printed this out and put it in his wallet, but not told Keith? What _possible_ reason could he have had? They hadn’t discussed doing it as part of their whole fake-dating charade, Keith was sure of it. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but maybe - just maybe… There was the tiniest chance…?

 

“No. Don’t be fucking stupid,” Keith scolded himself quietly. Lance was _not_ interested in him in the slightest. Why would he be, when he had had tons of girls and guys throwing themselves at him his entire life? Yeah, Lance had slept with a fuck-ton of people, but he’d never had a long-time partner, at least not during his and Keith’s friendship of four years. What could _Keith_ have that they didn’t? And if Lance really did have feelings for Keith, he definitely would have said something about it by now. Keith sighed heavily once more. _It’s time to get the fuck over him, you idiot. Stupid pining won’t get you anywhere._ But should he confront Lance about the photo? What if he was wrong about it and Lance laughed at him? And what if it made things really awkward between them? Maybe it would just be better for Keith to put it back and pretend he had never seen it. Yeah. He would do that. Keith was about to slide the photo back into the wallet when the man sitting next to him leaned forwards and tapped his shoulder.

 

“Oh uh, yeah?” Keith turned to face him. The man smiled at Keith, or, rather, grimaced almost unwillingly.

 

“So, that’s your boyfriend, huh?” He asked, pointing at the photo in Keith’s hand. His tone seemed polite enough, but there was a strange undertone to it that sent a chill down Keith’s spine.

 

“Yep, uh, that’s him. Lance. My boyfriend.” Keith chuckled awkwardly and made to put the photo away. A forceful hand on his wrist stopped him.

 

“Ah, so you’re one of _those_ kinda people, then,” The man said, the plastic smile still set in place on his face. His hand was gripping Keith’s forearm tightly. Keith swallowed. He’d dealt with more than his fair share of homophobes, but he really, _really_ didn’t want to cause a scene. This guy looked like he wouldn’t be hard to take down in a fight, if it came to that, which Keith prayed it wouldn’t, but the cramping hold on his wrist suggested otherwise.

 

“And what do you mean by that?” Keith replied. He fought to keep his voice calm, but his posture was tense, ready to spring into action if necessary.

 

“Don’t act stupid. You know what I mean, kid,” The man spat at him. “You’re a _fag._ A nasty, dirty little gay whore. I don’t want you or your kind anywhere near me, understand? Get out of this shop before I kick your fucking ass out of here.”

 

_Whore._

 

The man kept talking angrily, but Keith didn’t hear a thing. His head spun. The word reverberated around his head, knocking frantically against his skull.

 

Four years ago. High school. The year he switched to his new school, Lance’s school.

 

_“Get out of my school, whore. No one wants you here. Boyfriend? Please. Your loser ass was so desperate for attention you seriously made up a story that we were boyfriends. Like anyone would believe I’d go out with someone like you. Now fuck off. You’re so weird, I bet you jack off to pictures of me when you’re at home. You do, don’t you? Whore.”_

 

A raging voice shook Keith out of the past. “Well? Are you gonna leave, or am I gonna have to force you to?” The man’s voice was raised now, beginning to draw attention from a concerned looking Victoria.

 

Keith was trembling, the memories he’d tried so hard to bury flooding back in, overpowering all traces of common sense.

 

_To_ **_hell_ ** _with not making a scene._

 

“I’m not going anywhere,” He said, shaky but determined.

 

“Wrong answer,” The man hissed. He dropped Keith’s hand and drove his fist up to where Keith’s chin should have been, but he was far too slow. Keith was already out of his chair, and his elbow was flying towards the man’s face.

 

It connected with a satisfying _crunch._ Of course, everything then immediately went to shit.

 

———

 

Lance reckoned he could waste around five more minutes before Keith would become too suspicious. He closed his eyes, but opened them a second later when his phone beeped the first couple of notes of All Star, meaning it was a text from either Maria, Hunk, or Keith. He hoped it was Hunk.

 

_Message from: Maria_

 

That was kinda weird. If something urgent had happened at home, she would have called him. Lance unlocked his phone curiously and read the message.

 

_Maria: lmao u know when i woke u and keith up yesterday??? yea well i took a few pics of u guys cuddling b4 i did lmao but i forgot to show them to u lol so here they are <3 <3 <3 enjoy ;-)))_

 

Fuck. Did Lance really want to see these pictures?

 

_Maria is typing…_

 

Probably not. He bit his lip nervously and waited for them to be sent.

 

_Maria: Image (Tap to view)_

_Maria: Image (Tap to view)_

_Maria: Image (Tap to view)_

_Maria: Image (Tap to view)_

 

Lance held his breath and tapped on the first photo. It was taken at a weird angle and was super blurry, like Maria had taken it as quickly as possible in case he or Keith had woken up. But you could still clearly make out that Lance and Keith were holding each other tightly, their faces a hair’s breath from one another. Their lips were basically touching, for fuck’s sake! Lance flushed at the intimacy of the photo, and quickly swiped left to the next one. It was similar to the first, except this time much more in focus, and Lance’s right leg was now visibly draped across Keith, with Keith’s hand resting dangerously low on Lance’s back. He gulped and moved on, a little flustered. This next one was pretty much the exact same, but their faces were so close that a couple of strands of Keith’s hair had somehow found their way into Lance’s mouth. That wasn’t just embarrassing, it would be also kinda weird to bring up. _‘Hey, Keith, I kinda ate some of your hair while we were 100% platonically sharing my bed, wanna fuck?’_ Lance stifled a snort and moved on hastily to the final image. 

 

Shit. This one was definitely the worst of them all. How the _hell_ had Lance been able to sleep through this?! Keith’s legs were fucking wrapped around his waist, and one of Lance’s arms was curled around the other boy’s neck. There wasn’t a single centimetre of space between their bodies, torsos pressing up against each other. Their mouths were open, and they must have been breathing the same air, looking at how close their lips were.

 

God. Lance could not fucking do this. To have to look a second longer at their comfortable affection while neither of them was conscious, it was just too much. Lance sent Maria a quick text saying _‘thx i appreciate u being a creepy weirdo xx oxo xoxo xo’_ and shut his phone off. He was silent for a second, still processing, then groaned, and leant his head back with a solid _thunk_. It was probably time to go to Keith now.

 

_———_

 

“Why, you little _bitch_!” The man yelled, clearly shocked that Keith had dodged his slow, clumsy, could-be-seen-coming-from-a-mile-away-punch. Please. Keith hadn’t even hit him that hard. There wasn’t a single drop of blood, c’mon!

 

“What on _earth_ is going on!” Victoria jumped out of her chair and approached the two of them warily. “John, Keith, either of you care to explain?”

 

Keith opened his mouth, but the man, John, beat him to it.

 

“This fag attacked me out of nowhere!” He shouted furiously. Veronica gasped and narrowed her eyes.

 

“While physical violence is _strictly_ prohibited here, offensive language will not be tolerated either! Watch your mouth, please,” The annoyed receptionist said to the both of them.

 

John was irate. “Are you fucking serious! I could sue this place for unprovoked assault while on premises, how'd you like that for offensive?” Keith rolled his eyes.

 

“Actually, that’s not true,” A voice piped up. The man who had been sitting next to John was the one who had spoken. He was thin, dark-skinned and reedy looking and spoke quickly, with a slight lisp. Keith liked him immediately. “This was not a case of unprovoked assault. You deliberately insulted this young man using homophobic and cruel terms, and threatened to forcibly remove him from the premises, despite having zero authority over him or anyone else here. Your argument would not stand up in a court of law, especially not when there are witnesses present to verify the truth.”

 

He coughed and blinked owlishly, like he was waiting for someone to disagree with him. John was red-faced and breathing heavily now, reminding Keith of a bull, but didn’t say anything.

 

Victoria nodded. “Well, if that’s the case, John, I’m going to have to ask you to leave, and to not return. Ever. We do not allow homophobic customers in our shop. Good-bye!” She said firmly, and gestured towards the exit. John clenched his fists, and Keith tensed, just in case he tried anything, but the man just spun on his heel and stormed out, nearly crashing into a young man who was entering. 

 

“Oh, hey, Keith! Why’d that guy look so pissed? And, uh, you look kinda mad…What did I miss?” Lance asked, because of course it was Lance. Keith didn't bother to ask what had taken him so long. He was too preoccupied with shoving away the painful memories back into the recesses of his mind.

 

_It’s over. You’re okay. You’ll never see him again. He was an idiot. You’re better than him. You’re okay. Count to ten. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. That’s right. You’re okay. You’re okay. You’re okay._

 

When Keith finally refocused, Victoria was sitting back at her desk, talking calmly into the phone. Lance had placed a steady hand on his shoulder and was staring into his eyes. “Keith…Are you okay? Did that guy do anything to you? Because if he did, I’ll, I’ll - ”

 

“Easy there, tiger,” Keith chuckled. “I’m fine. He barely laid a finger on me. My wrist might be a little sore, but I think I’ll live.” Lance didn’t look entirely convinced. Keith rolled his eyes affectionately and pressed a chaste kiss to Lance’s lips. “Seriously, everything’s fine,” He murmured into Lance’s ear.

 

_You’re lying to him. But you really think you could tell him the truth? Please. Boyfriend? You’d be lucky enough to keep him as a friend._

 

“Hmm, if you say so, I guess.” Lance said quietly. “Still. I should have been here. I’m really sorry, it’s just there was just something with Maria, and, uh…” He trailed off. Keith knew there was more to the story but he let it slide. It hurt a little that Lance didn’t want to tell him, but then again, if Lance knew what Keith was hiding, well, that had to be far worse than anything Lance was keeping a secret.

 

“Nah, I could have taken him. And anyways, gonna have a hell of a bruised cheek tomorrow,” Keith smirked, taking Lance’s hand flirtatiously and leading them to two of the seats.

 

_Put up a front. Pretend you’re okay. Fake it till you make it, right?_

 

“Wow, I’m so lucky to have such a tough boyfriend. Let me fight your battles for you, goddammit!” Lance joked. Keith laughed and squeezed his hand, then shifted to face the man who had stood up against John The Fucking Dickhead Homophobic Douchey Probably-Supports-Trump Asshole.

 

“Hey, um, I just wanted to say thank you for helping me out back there. I really appreciated it,” Keith said, extending a hand. The man hesitated, as if unsure whether Keith was really speaking to him, then shook his hand jerkily. 

 

“Oh, um, it was nothing,” He replied, voice nervous. “I don’t - I can’t _stand_ bullies. So when I _can_ help, well, I never say no. I’m glad I could have been of some assistance!” He took off his glasses and polished them as he spoke, the movement so natural it must’ve been done thousands of times before. Keith experienced a strange welling of fondness for this stranger.

 

“Well, I was damn lucky to have you there. You really scared off that guy,” Keith grinned. The man laughed, and put his glasses back on, blinking as he did so. Right then, a young Chinese man emerged from the shop interior, and started speaking to Victoria.

 

“Well, that’s my cue. It was nice meeting you,” He smiled and walked towards the man at the desk, and their hands found each other immediately. Keith’s heart softened as the two of them left, talking softly to each other, in their own little personal bubble. For one moment, he entertained the notion of being a real couple with Lance. Of people looking at them on the street and being jealous of their easy affection, just like Keith was right now.

 

_Stop deluding yourself. He’ll never love you like that._

 

“So um, can you tell me why that dude was so angry just now, or…?” Lance asked, thumb casually stroking Keith’s palm. Keith held his breath for a second. This was where he’d have to confront Lance about the photo of the two of them. Could he do it? Keith hesitated, then swallowed. It was time for Lance to come clean.

 

“Well, I was taking my phone out of my pocket and your wallet sorta fell out, and when it did, a bunch of stuff spilled on to the floor. Y’know, money, receipts, _photos,_ ” Keith said, with absolutely zero subtlety. He saw the way Lance tensed up slightly at the word ‘photo,’ and pushed on, pretending not to notice. Now it was time to bend the truth a little. “Yeah, well, one of the things that fell out was a photo. A photo, of us. Printed out, looking like one of those cute polaroid kinda things.” Keith could see the excuses forming on Lance’s lips, could already picture him saying, _’Nah, Keith, I printed it out as a part of the whole fake-boyfriend thing, you know, in case Maria was poking around in my wallet or something. Why, did you think it was something else? Did you think I actually cared for you as more than a friend?’_

 

He decided he wanted to spare himself from the cold snub of rejection, so shrugged and said, “I totally get it.”

 

“You - you do?” Lance said, sounding genuinely shocked. “I mean, of course you do! Why…why wouldn’t you?” He stuttered. Huh. That was kinda strange. Whatever. Just continue with the plan.

 

“Yeah, completely. I didn’t even think of doing that, but it makes so much sense. Putting a cute photo of us in your wallet to get rid of suspicion in case anyone was going through it? That’s pretty damn smart, gotta say,” Keith said, and forced out a laugh. Lance’s eyes widened momentarily before he nodded. 

 

“Yeah, uh, that’s right,” He agreed speedily. Keith’s heart dropped all the way to his toes. There had still been a tiny sliver of hope that Lance would have said, ‘What? No, Keith, I printed this out because I’m in love with you and want to kiss you all the time and be your boyfriend for one hundred percent real.’“I’m glad you think it was a good idea,” the other boy continued. Was Keith detecting a hint of disappointment in his voice? No, it couldn’t be. Lance tapped his foot distractedly, deep in thought, and Keith closed his eyes and leant on his shoulder, trying to block out the events that had just happened.

 

It couldn’t have been more than thirty-seconds when - “Keith! You and your boyfriend are up now,” Victoria called from the front desk. Keith and Lance made their way towards her, linking their hands almost unconsciously. “You can just enter through over there,” The receptionist pointed towards a heavy olive curtain. Keith smiled gratefully at her, and held aside the curtain for Lance.

 

“Aw, thanks babe,” Lance winked and strutted through into the next room. Keith gave his shoulder a light shove and paused before following him. He was having a revelation. He would follow Lance anywhere, Keith realised. Regardless of where Lance went, Keith would be there, faithfully by his the whole way, no matter what. Truly, he’d follow him to the ends of the earth, cheesy as it may sound.

 

“Keith, stop standing in the curtain like a weirdo and get over here! We have some suits to look good in!” Lance yelled from within.

 

_Hold on to this. It will be the best thing to ever happen to you, don’t let it go to waste. Put all of those shitty memories in a box for now and lock it. You can open it later, when you’re alone, back home, when you don’t have the most amazing boy in the world calling your name._

 

_Live._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what an emotional roller coaster amiright ????? once again, if you think there was something i should have tagged, please let me know bc i don't want anyone to be uncomfortable, ya know??
> 
> right so first off, i made a [tumblr](http://astrocadets.tumblr.com/) !! so hmu esp. if u wanna talk abt this fic/klance/voltron !! i also have an [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/galaxyklance/) so check me out there too :'))
> 
> also yes keith has a sad backstory,,,, all will be revealed soon enough,,,,, i didn't want to do this to him but dw it will all be good in the end!!!
> 
> i can't believe we are now half-way through this fic!! i keep adding chapters whoops but i think 12 will probably be the max. also, if u guys have any theories/ideas abt this fic pls comment them / tell me on tumblr bc i love hearing from u all so much ?!?!??! 
> 
> writing this story is immensely fun and i love the support from all of u!!! ily guys so much and please keep leaving comments + kudos bc they absolutely make my day :)
> 
> love as always, alisha <3


	7. gotta make you understand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pining Keith, trying on suits, Pining Keith, eating frozen yogurt, Pining Keith, dancing, and did I say Pining Keith?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everybody !! thank you so much for being so patient with me and supportive of this fic, i'm so blessed to have you all :")) i'm still in disbelief that people all over the world like reading my fics, it's incredible. so, without further ado, here is chapter seven! enjoy!

“Hello there, boys!” A voice with a thick Italian accent greeted Lance and Keith as they entered. It came from a thin, middle-aged man who was standing in the centre of the room, twiddling his beard. His eyes lit up as Lance and Keith approached.

 

“Uh, hi there, Mr… Mr Guillermo,” Lance began. “This is Keith, my um, my boyfriend. My mom sent us here to pick up some suits for my parents’ anniversary? It’s tomorrow, so we need to - ”

 

“Yes, yes, yes,” The elder man waved a hand dismissively. “Your mama already called and explained _everything_ to me, no worries. So, you must be the son, Lance, yes?”

 

“Uh, yeah, that’s me,” Lance said. Mr Guillermo beamed, and said something to him in rapid-paced Spanish, gesturing wildly. Keith immediately toned out, and scrutinised the room a little more. 

 

It was relatively small, hexagonal shaped, with shelves lining all walls but one. The far wall had a sign on it that read ‘Dressing Room,’ and the shelves were lined with suits, packaged tightly or displayed. The suits looked amazing, and far more expensive than anything Keith had ever owned in his life. It occurred to him that Lola Sanchez would be the one covering the cost of the suit. He bit his lip. Was he just an extra burden to the family? It was her anniversary, after all, and Keith didn’t want to make her feel like she had to take care of him as well as organise the entire thing.

 

“Okay, then! You, Lance, you come here.” The man demanded, in English now. “Your parents’ anniversary, you must be looking the _best_ ,” Mr Guillermo told him. Lance stepped forward, only a little self-consciously, and the elder man nodded happily and rubbed his hands together, looking like a young boy on Christmas morning. Keith was a little unsettled by how excited the man looked just to sell them some suits. 

 

“Now, your mama already picked out your suits, correct?” Mr Guillermo asked.

 

“Uh, yeah,” Lance replied. “She said she didn’t trust my ‘fashion choices’, apparently.”

 

“Yes! So, Lance, I want you to take, hmm, where is it, ah! _This_ suit and go try it on, yes?”

 

“Sure. See ya, Keith,” Lance winked and made his way to the dressing room, a black suit draped over his arm. 

 

———

 

Lance finished adjusting his tie and inspected himself in the mirror.

 

“Hmm. Not too shabby, if I say so myself,” he grinned. His reflection grinned back, looking suave in a perfectly fitting black suit jacket and pants, white shirt and dark blue tie. The material was silky smooth and unlike anything Lance had worn before. He literally felt like a million dollars. Now, to see how Keith liked it.

 

 

———

 

Keith was trudging down the bright white school hallway. He felt more than out of place in his scuffed, hand me down trainers and skinny jeans that weren’t ripped on purpose. Clumps of students stood by lockers, laughing and chatting, some of them staring as he walked past. Whatever. He’d experienced much worse than just stares.

 

He reached into the pocket of his jacket, a cropped bright red motorcycle jacket that he’d received last week for his seventeenth birthday from his foster mom. Apparently it was ‘brand-new,’ but Keith had seen it in the thrift shop the day before. It was damn nice though, and the only thing he owned that even looked remotely new, so he definitely wasn’t complaining.

 

Pulling out a piece of paper, he squinted at the typewritten words. He’d memorised the letter already, but it didn’t hurt to read it again.

 

_Dear Keith Kogane,_

 

_Congratulations on gaining a scholarship to Stuart Windsor Academy, one of the most prestigious and reputable high schools in the United States of America. We are delighted to welcome you to our campus on the 10th of September. We are asking you start one week after the usual students, due to your unique situation. The reason for this being that the first week of classes are unnecessary for you since the students will be taking placement exams you have already completed. Please immediately come to the principal’s office on your arrival._

 

_We look forward to seeing you soon,_

 

_Mrs. Shazia Ghani_

 

Principal’s office, hmm? He guessed that would be pretty easy to find. And sure enough, as Keith scanned the corridor, he spotted an imposing wooden door up ahead which bore those universally dreaded words. As he approached, murmurs from the other students grew louder and far less subtle.

 

_“Hey, who’s that? Some new kid?”_

 

_“I don’t know, but he’s pretty hot, huh.”_

 

_“Fuck yeah he is!”_

 

The two girls burst into high-pitched giggles as Keith rolled his eyes as he walked past, not bothering to spare them a glance. Jesus. Hopefully not everyone would be like this. It wasn’t like he was here to make friends, anyways. All he wanted to do was get into a good university, and get a good job. Friends couldn’t help with that. And the last time he’d opened up to someone, well - Keith flinched. 

 

_Stop thinking about that. Don’t dwell on the past. Just -_

 

Keith collided with someone at speed. A boy, just half an inch taller than him, lean, brown-skinned, infuriatingly gorgeous, and he fucking knew it. Keith hated him immediately. This guy was probably some annoying stereotypical jock in a pack of annoying jocks, each with an equally annoying girlfriend hanging onto their arm.

 

“Hey, dude, sorry! That one’s on me, bro.” The guy said, not unkindly, more jokingly, friendly, even. Mystery Hot Guy’s voice was literally the equivalent of maple syrup. Okay, that was an incredibly crappy description, he could admit. But it was warm, sweet, syrupy, and Keith wanted it all over his body. Pretty much the same thing, right? However, he’d also said, ‘dude’ _and_ ‘bro’ in the span of two sentences. That was definitely a negative. Keith was pretty sure he’d never said ‘bro’ in his life.

 

“No, it was my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going. Sorry,” Keith muttered, making eye contact with the other boy’s lips. Shit, don’t look at his lips, he’ll think you’re some weirdo! He forced himself to look up, and groaned internally. Surely it couldn’t be _legal_ to be this good-looking! Mystery Hot Guy’s eyes were every single shade of the ocean, sparkling as a smile grew on the guy’s face. He was one of those people who smiled with their whole face, dimples making a cameo and nose crinkling as he extended a hand out to Keith.

 

“The name’s Lance. Lance Sanchez. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here, and I know pretty much everyone. You new or something? What’s your name?” 

 

_Jesus, does this kid ever shut up?_

 

“I’m Keith Kogane. I’m new.” Keith explained, not feeling the need to go into his scholarship story. Wasn’t worth it for a guy he’d probably never talk to again.He gripped Lance’s hand briefly, and nearly dropped it.

 

_What the fuck? Why is he so warm? Does he have a fever or something? Is he about to faint? Would he faint in my arms? Do I_ **_want_ ** _him to faint in my arms? Is it bad if I want him to?_

 

“Well, it’s nice to meet ya, Keith!” Lance said brightly. “Hey, what if I called you Keith-y Boy!”

 

“Please, just - don’t. Ever. Do that.” Keith shook his head, fighting the small smile trying to make its way to the surface. Okay, he was definitely not a jock. Too lame. But not annoying, either.

 

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s not very catchy. I’ll think of something though, don’t worry.” Lance winked, and released Keith’s hand. Shit, he had forgotten to let go! Idiot. “Ah, I forgot to introduce you to my friends!” Lance continued. “This bad boy over here is Hunk, and the gremlin goes by Pidge.”

 

He pointed respectively to a kind-faced, chubby boy who gave a friendly wave, and a small, serious looking girl with glasses, who gave a grudging nod to Keith.

 

“Please, tune out eighty percent of what Lance says. That’s how I’ve survived our friendship so far, and barely,” Pidge deadpanned.

 

“She’s right,” Hunk nodded in solemn approval.

 

Keith snorted, liking the both of them at once, and Lance turned on her with exaggerated outrage. “Hey, shut up! At least I’m not three feet tall! Or, should I say, three feet _short_!”

 

“No, you shouldn’t,” Hunk said quietly, with an exasperated grin.

 

“Fuck off, I’m four foot eight and you know it!” Pidge retorted.

 

“Mm-hmm, yeah, sure. I still remember that time the movie ticket lady thought you needed a child ticket, which is only for fucking twelve year olds and under!” Lance said triumphantly.

 

“Why, you little - !” Pidge nearly launched herself at the other boy. Hunk moved to hold her back, sighing, like he’d had to step in before.

 

“I gotta go see the principal, so I’m gonna leave you guys to it, yeah?” Lance and Pidge were too busy arguing to hear, but Hunk gave Keith a thumbs-up and a ‘you’ll get used to them’ smile. Keith officially cancelled his ‘no-friends’ rule. These kids, as weird as they seemed, struck him as some pretty cool people to be friends with.

 

As he knocked on the door that read ‘Principal’s Office,’ Keith still had a smile on his face.

 

“Yes, come in!” A female voice called from inside. Keith pushed the door open to what resembled a cozy study. The floor was a plush carpet which had Keith’s dirty trainers sinking into it like quicksand. There was a bookshelf alongside one wall, stuffed with books that looked older than Keith himself. In the centre of the room stood an ornate mahogany desk, and behind it, seated in a high-backed chair, sat a middle aged lady.

 

“Well, hello there, young man!” She smiled at him. Her voice held traces of an accent, which added to Keith’s guess that she was descended from some place in the Middle East, maybe Pakistan or Afghanistan.

 

“Uh, I’m Keith, Keith Kogane. I got this letter, -’ Keith fumbled to retrieve the paper from his pocket.

 

“Ah, yes, Keith! Our highly-anticipated scholarship boy,” The lady grinned. “We’ve all been so excited for you to arrive! Oh, have I forgotten to introduce myself! I’m Mrs. Ghani, the principal of Stuart Windsor Academy. Please, take a seat.” Mrs. Ghani gestured politely to one of the three armchairs in front of her. “So, Keith, I know you’ve only been at our school for about,” She checked a gold watch adorning her wrist, “Maybe ten minutes, but I want to know, have you met anyone yet?” She continued as Keith adjusted himself into a comfy position.

 

“Yeah, actually, I have.” Keith told the principal about his encounter with Lance, Hunk and Pidge.

 

Mrs. Ghani clapped her hands together. “Well, isn’t that just splendid! Those three are such lovely students, I’m sure you all will be best friends in no time.” Keith gave her a requisite smile. Of course, he wanted to be friends with them, but they all seemed so close, Keith didn’t think they’d let some random guy break up their whole three musketeers act.

 

“Now, on a more serious note,” Mrs. Ghani said, her voice dropping even though there was no one else in the room but the two of them. “Keith, I don’t know the exact reason why you left your old school, but I have heard some rumours. To be frank, some not-so-nice rumours, let’s put it that way.” Keith tensed. What exactly did this lady know?

 

“Don’t look so scared, now. I don’t want to try and force the story out of you. But I do want you to know this. If anything, anything at _all,_ happens to you at this school, I want you to come directly to me. I will not tolerate any nasty behaviour under my watch. Understand?” The principal raised her eyebrow at him.

 

Keith nodded hastily, choking away tears that were welling up in his eyes. Why the fuck was he about to cry? Maybe it was the way Mrs. Ghani spoke, with such determination that Keith would never have to go through what he did twice. Keith had never experienced this kind of care before. “Oh, sweetheart.” The lady tut-tutted softly. “Here, take this. I don’t give these out often, so appreciate it, hmm?” She unlocked a drawer under her desk, and pulled out a small, old-fashioned metal tin proudly labeled ‘TREATS’, from which she removed a paper wrapped piece of fudge. She dropped it in Keith’s hand, and smiled at him. “Run along now, and have fun, okay? I have a feeling you’re going to like it here.”

 

Keith gave her a grateful nod, trying to convey his emotions through it, not trusting himself to speak without breaking down in sobs. He left the room, more than ready to begin the next section of his life.

 

"Hey dude, there you are! Where’d you even disappear to!" Lance exclaimed when Keith tapped him on the shoulder. “I missed you!” Keith rolled his eyes, which was probably going to be something he’d be doing a lot more if he was gonna be spending time with Lance, then started as the other boy slung his arm casually around his shoulders. Was this something completely new friends did? He didn’t know where to put his hands, so kept them by his sides, awkwardly clenching and unclenching his fists.

 

“So, what classes are you taking, Keith?” Hunk asked as the four of them headed to their lockers. Miraculously, Keith’s locker was right next to Lance’s, with Hunk and Pidge nearby.

 

“Um, Literature, Calculus, Trigonometry, Social Studies, Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, Art, French and Economics,” Keith recited.

 

“Nice, but I already knew that,” Pidge said calmly. “We all have Astronomy, Calculus and Social Studies together. You and Lance also take Literature and Trigonometry together, and you and Hunk are both in the same French class. You’re in my Chemistry and Physics class, so I’ve got a partner this year, which is an improvement from last year.” She snapped closed the notebook she had been reading from.

 

“Wh - Pidge, how the fuck did you know all of our schedules?” Lance asked indignantly. “I don’t even know my own!”

 

Pidge shrugged. “Eh, I just hacked the school system and found out. It was easier than I thought, by the way. I only bothered to find out Keith’s schedule because I wanted to know more about this new scholarship kid we were getting.”

 

“Hold up. Keith, you’re here on a scholarship?!” Lance turned to Keith, their faces way too close together for comfort.

 

“Yeah, so what?” Keith scowled, something in Lance’s tone niggling at him. If he said one thing, _one thing,_ about Keith being too poor to afford the fees, Keith was gonna punch him right in his beautiful face.

 

“Oh God, that came out wrong,” Lance said hurriedly. “I mean, you have gotta be damn smart to land a scholarship in general, but here? You must be a fucking genius, man. That’s amazing.”

 

“Oh.” Keith flushed. He wasn’t used to getting compliments. “I just…work really hard, I guess.”

 

“Still, I am honoured to be your friend,” Lance proclaimed in an over-the-top, horrible British accent.

 

“Make it stop,” Pidge groaned. “Lance, you’re so fucking cringey.”

 

“Keith, aren’t you going to defend me from the evil gremlin? I beg of you!” Lance fell to his feet and clutched at the hem of Keith’s shirt. Pidge snorted, and Hunk murmured something to her, making the girl laugh and nod decidedly. 

 

“Absolutely…not,” Keith laughed and batted away the kneeling boy’s hands, then hauled Lance to his feet. His new friend stumbled as he rose, steadying himself by bracing his hands on Keith’s chest. Keith hoped he wouldn’t be able to feel how fast his heart was beating. There was a beat of silence, where Keith watched Lance exhale, the way his lips parted gently, and -

 

“Right.” Lance said, shaking his head like he was trying to get water out of his ear. “Come on, we’re gonna be late for class. Our Calculus teacher is a massive bitch, just so you know.”

 

Keith laughed stiffly, mind racing as he got his stuff out of his bag. Had Lance been weirded out by that moment between them? Had he even _realised_ that they had been having a moment? Also, what Hunk had said to Pidge. Keith was pretty sure Lance hadn’t heard, or he would have replied, probably with a shitty comeback. But Keith had heard it clear as day. The statement echoed round his head all throughout class.

 

_“Lance is in love with this guy, I can tell.”_

 

———

 

Keith stopped his reminiscing as Lance strode out of the dressing room, hands on his hips in an exaggerated catwalk. The other boy strutted towards them and stopped mere centimetres from Keith.

 

“So, babe, what do you think?” He asked, eyebrows raised.

 

Keith was speechless. Lance looked more than good, more than hot, he was - he was absolutely stunning. The suit was tailored as to accentuate the boy’s well-muscled shoulders and slim waist, and it took all Keith had to stop himself from launching himself at the other guy.

 

“I - uh, I mean, you look - Wow,” Keith managed. Mr. Guillermo beamed knowingly.

 

“That good, huh?” Lance winked. “C’mon, hurry up and get changed, I wanna see what yours looks like.”

 

“Oh, yes, of course!” Mr. Guillermo said excitedly. “Keith, this one is yours. Your suits complement each other perfectly, as I hope you’ll be able to tell.”

 

Keith accepted the clothes from him and made his way to the dressing room, curious to see what it was going to look like. He stripped quickly, noting happily how the scratch on his back was healing nicely. He still remembered the warm touch of Lance, how his gentle fingers had applied the ointment so tenderly. God, it was going to be _hell_ when they had to go back to normal.

 

He carefully buttoned the suit up half-way, and looked at his reflection. “Wow…” Keith breathed. The suit was _really_ nice. And Mr. Guillermo was right, it did complement Lance’s suit! Whereas Lance’s was a black suit with a dark blue tie, Keith had a dark blue suit with a black tie, and it looked damn good. But…

 

Keith bit his lip at the mirror. A suit this nice, from a place that was clearly so expensive. Lola was having to spend enormous amounts of money on him, believing it was for her son’s boyfriend, when it was all just a scam. Keith felt terrible. It hit him all in a rush, the extent of the lie that he and Lance had created. After all of this was over, they were gonna go back home and Lance was going to tell his family that they’d broken up. It was definitely gonna break Lola’s heart, she seemed so happy that Lance had a boyfriend. Lance was going to have them all questioning him, and he’d have to pretend to be sad and it was just ugh, all so fucking unnecessary.

 

Then again, what was the alternative? _Actually date Lance?_ But that was preposterous. Keith would swear on his life that Lance didn’t, y’know, ‘ _like_ _like_ ’ him. And he wouldn’t dare risk asking Lance, for fear of ruining their friendship for good. Maybe Keith shouldn’t have come on this trip. It was just fucking with his emotions even more. He’d had a handle on them before, but now? Keith had kissed Lance, _physically_ kissed him, and he wanted to kiss him more. It was too much. Keith made a promise to himself. He’d forget about all the bullshit, forget about the shitty experiences he’d had, forget about how this was all a lie, and just enjoy spending time with his (fake) boyfriend and his amazing family. That sounded good.

 

Keith smiled at himself. He wasn’t going to let _anything_ ruin the rest of this trip. He emerged from the dressing room to Lance’s appreciative whistle, went straight up to him and landed a kiss right on his lips, taking the other boy by surprise. 

 

“I don’t know how I’m gonna thank your mom enough for this, Lance,” He murmured into the boy’s ear.

 

“Hey now, don’t worry about that, okay?” Lance reassured him. “Believe me, she’s over the moon to be able to buy something for her potential ‘future son-in-law.’” Lance made quotation marks in the air, laughing. But the reality of what he said struck Keith. It made him think of a future with Lance. A wedding, honeymoon, adopting a kid, growing old together. God, he was such a mess. They weren’t even actually dating, for chrissakes.

 

“So, you like the suits, yes?” Mr. Guillermo asked as he came back into the room. Keith hadn’t even noticed the man had gone.

 

“We _love_ them,” Lance gushed. “Thank you so much, Mr. Guillermo.”

 

The old man waved his hands nonchalantly. “Please, this is the least I can do. Your Papa, he’s been buying suits from me for over forty years, hmm? I’m so happy for him and your Mama. And, of course, for you two! Now, come on, change back into your clothes, Victoria needs to pack these for you.”

 

Lance took Keith’s hand as they went back to the dressing room. It was meant for one person at a time, so there were a few awkward elbows to the ribs and collision of limbs. Keith couldn’t help but take notice of Lance’s tattoo. He’d nearly forgotten about it. The tattoo was tiny, barely visible, but there, right underneath the boy’s left pectoral, was a handwritten quote in black ink. 

 

_Live what you love._

 

Keith had been there, that day. Lance had gotten it the day after graduation. He’d held Lance’s hand throughout the entire process, squeezing it in reassurance. He thought it was perfect for Lance, a boy who lived his life so optimistic and energetic, who made the best of a situation even when it seemed bad, who was so kind to people he didn’t even know.

 

“Hey, you wanna get some frozen yogurt? They have the _best_ place like, a two minute walk from here.” Lance said as he straightened up.

 

“Yeah sure,” Keith grinned at him.

 

They collected the suits from a cheery Victoria and walked out into the bright sunlight.

 

———

 

“Ugh, Lance, that is _sickening,_ ” Keith stuck his tongue out at the other boy. They were sitting at an outdoor table underneath an umbrella, Lance claiming he couldn’t eat something cold and sit in the cold at the same time. “How can you have Oreos, gummy bears, chocolate drops _and_ caramel sauce? That’s just a recipe for vomiting, isn’t it?” Keith continued, aghast at the amount of sugary sweets piled on the other boy’s dessert.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Health Nut! Haha, get it, because you got walnuts on yours, and I called you Mr. Health _Nut,_ ” Lance snorted.

 

“Yes, I get it, Lance,” Keith groaned. “I got strawberries _and_ chocolate sauce, too!” 

 

“Yeah, whatever,” Lance grinned, licking caramel off his spoon. “In _my_ opinion, all of my toppings together create a _delicious_ combo, thank you very much.”

 

“Mm-hmm,” Keith said, unimpressed. It was quiet for a second, no sounds but the chatter of other customers and the honking of some cars a couple streets down.

 

“Hey, can I taste some of yours?” Lance asked suddenly.

 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Keith said, about to push his cup towards the other boy, when Lance planted his hands, lifted his upper body and kissed Keith across the table. Keith’s eyes widened in shock, but kissed back (of course, what else was he going do), holding Lance’s face in his hands. Lance tasted of sweetness, of sugar, of cream and cold, and Keith took back everything he had just said against the other boy’s choice of toppings, because it tasted _incredible_. 

 

Without warning, Lance dropped back into his seat, a smirk on his face, just the slightest bit out of breath. “My arms were getting tired,” He said casually by way of explanation, then took a large bite of his frozen yogurt. Keith had no idea how to respond. So he kept eating, but now with a tingly feeling in his chest. There was a stupid, sappy smile on his face, but for once, he didn’t care.

 

———

 

“Mama, we got the suits!” Lance yelled as he kicked his shoes off at the entrance of the house. Keith fastidiously took his off and placed them neatly against the wall, still terrified of making a bad impression.

 

“Okay, can you hang them up in your room, please?” Lola Sanchez shouted from somewhere upstairs. “And don’t shout, Maela’s sleeping!”

 

Lance rolled his eyes. “Hypocrite,” He muttered. “C’mon, let’s find Maria and Leo.” The two of them searched the house, and found the siblings in the TV room, completing intensely in a round of Just Dance. 

 

“Oh, hey, guys,” Maria panted as she and Leo waved their hand around in the air. They were dancing to ‘Call Me Maybe’, and Keith stifled a snort as he compared the gracefully dancing figure on screen to the overly enthusiastic siblings leaping around.

 

“Me and Keith are going next!” Lance declared, pulling Keith down onto the sofa behind the dancers. Keith began to protest.

 

“Lance, you know I can’t dance for shi- I can’t dance.” He spread his hands lamely.

 

“Then this is good for you!” Lance insisted. “Tomorrow, you’ll definitely be dancing, so might as well get a little practice in, right?”

 

Right. Keith had completely forgotten that there would be dancing tomorrow. Oh, well. It’s not like he was going to see any of those people again anyways. Maria and Leo’s dance came to an end, with excited cheers from the young boy, who had won by over eight hundred points.

 

“How did you beat me, Leo! Tell me your secrets!” Maria lifted her younger brother into the air and plopped him down on the sofa.

 

“Never! I am the dancing champion!” Leo yelled happily. Maria raised an eyebrow, before tickling him with no remorse, until the little boy begged for mercy.

 

“Okay, what song do you want to do? I’ll let you pick,” Lance offered Keith. Keith scrolled through the song options, before stopping on one he thought wouldn’t be too hard. The song itself wasn’t exactly Keith’s favourite, but that couldn’t be helped.

 

“Never Gonna Give You Up? Wow, I did _not_ expect that, but sure,” Lance chuckled. The song began, and Keith immediately regretted everything. The moves were the most cringey, most old-fashioned moves he’d ever seen, and yet they were still so hard to do? What the fuck? Lance laughed, somehow getting ‘Perfect’ on practically every move, while Keith struggled to get ‘OK’s.’

 

After three minutes and twenty-nine seconds of absolute torture, the song finished, taking with it the last shreds of Keith’s dignity. Keith turned around and flopped face-first onto the sofa, not wanting to see the final scores.

 

“Aw, babe, you didn’t do _that_ bad,” Lance teased, coming to sit next to him. “You managed to get two stars!”

 

Keith lifted his head and glared at Lance. “How many stars did you get?”

 

“Um…Five,” The other boy said, laughing at Keith’s expression. “I’m sorry, I can’t help being so naturally talented!”

 

“Shut up, you couldn’t even tie your shoes till you were ten,” Maria said, reaching over to punch her older brother lightly on the shoulder.

 

“Maria! You weren’t supposed to reveal that to anyone!” Lance hissed at her. Keith burst into giggles, picturing a frustrated ten-year-old Lance, struggling to tie his shoelaces with his chubby little fingers. 

 

“Oops,” Lance’s sister deadpanned. “It just slipped.”

 

“Has she met Pidge?” Keith asked. The two girls were so similar it was uncanny. Smart, hilarious, sarcastic, and loved to make fun of Lance.

 

“Hell no,” Lance shook his head vigorously. “You really think that’d be a good idea! They’d probably take over the world or something!” Keith understood. Lance didn’t want Pidge to tell Maria embarrassing stories about Lance when they were at school, or for Maria to tell Pidge embarrassing stories about Lance as a kid. Fair enough.

 

“I really want to meet Pidge, but Lance won’t let me. Apparently she’d be a ‘bad influence,’ or something.” Maria rolled her eyes. “You’re probably just still salty that you never beat her on a test throughout five years of school.”

 

“Shut up!” Lance exclaimed. “That’s not true, who told you that! Hey, wait a second, who did tell you that? It definitely wasn’t me, and Keith wouldn’t know…” Maria looked guiltily at her hands.

 

“Uh, it might have happened that Pidge found me on Facebook three years ago and we exchanged Skype names and have been friends ever since?” Lance’s sister said rapidly. Lance was speechless.

 

“Wh - wh - what?! How did I not know about this? _Three years?_ Oh my God, the amount of embarrassing stuff you guys must have talked about, oh no, this is the end of the world, so _that’s_ how she knew I still slept with a teddy bear till I was eighteen, I can’t believe this, — ”

 

Lance fell silent, his whole world having turned around in an instant.

 

“Honestly?” Maria shrugged, “We just bonded over how much you would rant to us about your massive gay crush on — ” Lance threw a cushion at Maria’s head and screamed at her in Spanish, which was an effective way to get her to stop talking. Keith tensed. What name had Maria been about to say? He muttered some bullshit excuse about having to go to the bathroom, not like anyone was listening, and escaped.

 

Keith sprinted to Lance’s bathroom and locked the door. He shut the toilet lid and sat on it, head in his hands, heart racing. Fragments of moments floated round his mind.

 

_An arm around his shoulder, drawing him close. “Lance is in love with this guy, I can tell.” Always wanting to be Keith’s partner. Staying up till 3am talking about random shit. “Keith, you’re my best friend. I lo- I trust you more than anyone.” Asking if he could be his fake boyfriend. Unnecessary kisses. “Your massive gay crush on — ”_

 

Could it be…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oo ooOoOOOoOoOh h hh what's gonna happen next??? ?? ? ?? we'll just have to wait and see..... :)))  
> side note: we are now more than half-way through this fic!! can you b e lieve  
> edit: here is the dance that keith and lance do. ur welcome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByqFY-Boq5Y
> 
> here's my [tumblr](http://astrocadets.tumblr.com/) !! so hmu esp. if u wanna talk abt this fic/klance/voltron !! i also have an [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mcgaynes/) so check me out there too :'))
> 
> don't forget to leave kudos and a comment!! it really makes my day :)) and once again, thank you so much for reading this fic. im so grateful to each and every one of you. love u all sm xx


	8. not your fault but mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith learns a few things, but Lance doesn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone!! first off, i am absolutely shook. this fic now has over one thousand kudos im ?? ? thank you all so damn much you have no idea how much this means to me. you all leave the sweetest comments and im honestly so happy there haven't been any negative ones yet :"))
> 
> this chapter is dedicated to two incredibly lovely people on instagram who for some reason like this fic lol. @s.jorgo and @marsh.edits, thank you for being so kind!!
> 
> if you want the next chapter dedicated to you, hmu on [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mcgaynes/) and say something nice !! 
> 
> once again, thank you all so much. i hope you enjoy this chapter !!

Lance’s fully customised Star Wars bedside clock (from when he was eleven years old, okay), read 11:43 pm. He groaned silently, and rubbed at his temples. Keith was fast asleep next to him, lips parted, one arm casually slung across Lance’s waist. His eyelashes fanned across his pale cheeks, and he was frowning ever so slightly. Instinctively, Lance reached out with his fingers and smoothed out the other boy’s expression. Keith didn’t wake, but shifted into the touch, making a small, soft noise in the back of his throat. Lance quickly jerked his hand back. This, definitely, Lance didn’t have an excuse for. Then again, after today’s completely unnecessary frozen yogurt kiss, and Maria pretty much just saying _everything_ , it wouldn’t surprise Lance if Keith was already aware of the fact that Lance had been pining over him for a solid four years now. 

 

Fuck. Just…fuck. Lance had really thought he could do this. He had really, genuinely believed that he could pretend to date Keith for a whole week without any consequences. He was such an idiot. Had he actually thought that he could keep his feelings out of the way? Not only that, he’d dragged Keith, one of his best friends, into this situation, and there was no way it wouldn’t be awkward after all of this was finally over. Lance sighed heavily. The thing was, Lance had been dropping hints for _years_ that he was into Keith. 

 

Leaning in too close when Keith was talking, hugging him far longer than necessary whenever possible. Lance had nearly said ‘I love you’ to the guy, for fuck’s sake! He had stopped flirting _completely_ when he’d met the boy, just in the hopes Keith would be into him. Which meant either Keith was the most oblivious person in the world, or he was reading Lance’s signals and wasn't interested in the slightest. And Keith wasn’t stupid. So, Lance was inclined to believe the latter. A bad taste arose on his tongue. What if Keith, too nice to turn down Lance directly, had pretended all the gestures had just been Lance being his usual friendly self? What if he had known all along, but for Lance’s sake, didn’t want to ruin their friendship? The thought alone made Lance sick to the stomach. What if Keith actually knew?

 

Lance carefully extricated himself from Keith’s warm embrace. He couldn’t just lie in bed all night, imagining ‘What if’s’ about the boy lying right next to him. Quietly, he put on his fluffiest bedroom slippers and padded out of the room, and down to the kitchen. He switched on the light, and rummaged through the cupboards. Where was the -“Ah, got it,” Lance muttered to himself. A couple of minutes later, Lance was sipping his favourite childhood drink, warm spiced milk. The flavour was so comforting, and brought Lance back to much simpler times. 

 

———

_three and a half years ago_

_skype chat_

 

**lancelot:** wassup dude hows it going 

 

**cryptidkid:** ugh…. i’m dying

 

**lancelot:** what happened ??? need ice cream ?? WAS SOMEONE MEAN TO YOU i’ll fight them i swear

 

**cryptidkid:** no omg hahahahha

 

**cryptidkid:** im just… struggling  >:((

 

**lancelot:** same tbh… like just in general…

 

**lancelot:** lmao with what tho?? do u need my help??

 

**cryptidkid:** it’s this stupid art project which counts for like 40% of our grade and is stressing me the fuck out i want to cry

 

**lancelot:** ok… is there more??

 

**cryptidkid:** ugh hh ghg h basically we have to paint someone we ‘love’ and like.. . . i don't have anyone ok i know its sad whatever make fun of me its just so ANNOYING like i _need_ to do well on this if i want to get a decent grade so im just freaking out a lil bit rn… nothing new

 

**lancelot:** dude its not sad ?? its completely normal …. it’d be weird if you had too _many_ people you love… y’know?? 

 

**lancelot:** and hey why not paint shiro…. u know.. . ur foster/orphanage bro..?? 

 

**cryptidkid:** i can’t :(( i already painted him for that family project thing a while back remember :// i even asked my teacher and he said no 

 

**cryptidkid:** he was all ‘keith, i know you must love more than one person. i understand your…circumstances, but still, this shouldn’t be too hard. step out of your comfort zone!!’

 

**cryptidkid:** honestly hes a bit of a twat

 

**cryptidkid:** hes like super against gender equality and equality in general like ??? wtf ??? he called this girl ‘uneducated’ for doing a mural about racism…. i nearly punched him whoops

 

**lancelot:** ew gross douchebag alert!! we should tell mrs ghani she would shut him down real quick

 

**cryptidkid:** yea we should but right now we need to focus on someone for me to paint!! we can snitch on him _after_ he gives me an A* on this piece okay?

 

**lancelot:** lmao ok o k

 

**lancelot:** who should u paint.,.,, ok,,,….umm..hmmm…

 

**cryptidkid:** SEE WHAT I MEAN 

 

**cryptidkid:** im gonna cry ugh hh hgh why is this so hard 

 

**lancelot:** hey i have an idea.. it might not be great but its still an idea!!

 

**cryptidkid:** i’ll take anything at this point honestly

 

**lancelot:** hear me out okay

 

**lancelot:** why not….you paint…

 

**lancelot:** me

 

_cryptidkid is typing…_

 

_cryptidkid is typing…_

 

**lancelot:** not like that!! like in a friendship way!! u know??

 

**lancelot:** for example, i love u dude ur like my best friend aside from hunk

 

**cryptidkid:** i mean… i guess it could work..

 

**lancelot:** awesome sauce

 

**cryptidkid:** ok but u have to come over _right_ now bc the project’s due in a week or smth i kinda left it to the last minute

 

**lancelot:** yea sure no prob ! see u @ the boarding house in 15 min xoxoxoxoxo

 

**cryptidkid:** see u 

 

**cryptidkid:** thank you

 

Lance locked up his bike outside the boarding house, then rapped smartly on the door. He was only doing it out of habit, though, because Keith was the only one living there for now. Apparently the school was looking to increase the amount of boarding students, but currently, it was just the one.

 

The door swung open to a dishevelled Keith, his hair tied back in a scruffy ponytail, paint splattered on his baggy t-shirt and - he wasn’t wearing pants. Lance caught a glimpse of blue boxers when the shirt shifted up, and he had to physically force himself to stop staring at his best friend’s ass when Keith turned around. 

 

“I’m so glad you’re here, holy fuck,” Keith said over his shoulder as he led the way to the ‘studio,’ which Keith had gotten permission to make out of a spare room last year. “Sorry about all the mess, I didn’t have time to clean up before you came.”

 

“Woah, Keith.” Lance ran a few steps in front of the other boy and looked him in the eyes. “This project really must be stressing you out, huh? Apologising for not cleaning? When was the last time either of us cleaned up before the other came over?”

 

A small smile turned up the corner of Keith’s mouth. “Yeah, I - I guess it is kinda stressing me out a little. I just don't want to do badly, and make Mrs Ghani think she made a mistake letting me in to the school, or — ” 

 

“Keith, are you serious? Dude, you’ve never gotten less than an A in any of your subjects, and you’ve been at this school for a year! That’s like, a world record or something! Your last art piece, that sculpture, won some fucking national competition, remember? If Mrs Ghani wants you to leave the school, then she’ll have to say goodbye to me, too. And to Hunk, and Pidge. We’ve got your back, bro.” Lance posed for effect, letting Keith bask in the glory which was Lance, Hero To All.

 

Keith grinned and rolled his eyes, punching Lance lightly on the bicep. “Okay, okay, I get it, Mr Drama Queen. Thank you for your support. Now come on, I need to get the sketch done before the sun sets, and we haven’t even figured out your pose or anything yet.”

 

“You know what, I’m taking that nickname as a compliment, so the joke’s on you,” Lance declared, as he lounged across the grey sofa that was placed in the back of the studio, where rays of sun were scattered across it. “How’s this for a pose?” Lance joked, raising one leg straight in the air and pursing his lips in an over the top pout. “I have a great title for it,” he said solemnly, then paused for dramatic effect. “Leg.”

 

“Actually, that’s a pretty good idea,” Keith shrugged. Lance didn’t know how to respond to that. There was a brief moment of silence, then Keith burst out in peals of laughter, eyes crinkling in a way that was far too endearing to Lance than he thought possible. “I’m kidding! No, absolutely not, no way,” Keith shook his head. “Okay how about you sit _naturally_ , maybe with one leg crossed? We can have you holding something and looking off in to the distance, maybe with a book…Lance? You there?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, sorry. I was just…thinking. Hey, if you want me to hold something, would a mug work? I’m craving a certain drink right about now,” Lance winked. Keith rolled his eyes, and reluctantly let Lance run to the kitchen to make his favourite concoction of warm milk and turmeric powder, a recipe he’d found on some random hipster blog.

 

By the time Lance had returned, clutching his milk in his hands, Keith was sitting on a stool, with his sketchbook out and his array of pencils surrounding him, like he was some weird stationary king or something. Lance told him as much, which made Keith snort, which made Lance happy, because Keith being sad or stressed or worried was quite possibly the worst thing in the whole world ever.

 

“By the way, not sure if you noticed but, I changed my clothes,” Lance politely informed him. “I’m wearing your socks because they’re thicker than mine and the floor in here is cold as fuck. Also I’m wearing your shorts, because they’re really comfy. I am also wearing the shirt you bought when you went to see Fall Out Boy like four years ago and still have, you emo loser. I’m surprised it fits me, honestly. Did you get it like three sizes too big?”

 

Keith looked up, properly, and blinked. His lips parted, and not for the first time, Lance wondered what they’d feel like pressed against his own. There was a beat of silence, then another, then another. Keith’s eyes were dark and deep, and Lance wanted them to engulf him. Another beat of silence. Lance wished he could see what was going through Keith’s mind at that moment.

 

“C’mon, you gonna draw me or what?” Lance prompted the other boy. 

 

“Oh, yeah. Okay, wait - hold on.” Keith got up and walked over to Lance, and stood there with his hand over his mouth, thinking silently. “Alright. Can you just like, be pliant for a second? Tell me if the position is super uncomfortable, but if not, then just don’t move. I want the lighting to be absolutely perfect.” Lance nodded in agreement, so Keith took a step in and stood above Lance.

 

Lance had sprawled himself lazily across the couch, legs spread open in a way that was _not_ meant to be suggestive, thank you very much, but he couldn’t stop his breath from hitching when Keith leant down to shift his body into a more ‘aesthetically appealing’ position. Warm, firm hands on bare legs, pressing against his chest, gently lifting and placing his arms, even adjusting Lance’s fingers around the mug. Every point of contact Keith was making with Lance set his skin aflame, like he was being touched by stars. Lance couldn’t keep his gaze off Keith, but the other boy didn’t meet his eyes even once. There was a strange tension in the air, a feeling that something big was about to happen. Keith finally, finally, pulled back and studied Lance once more, brow furrowing. Was that a faint blush rising on the other boy’s cheeks? Lance couldn’t tell. He lowered his eyelashes, suddenly unable to meet Keith’s eyes, afraid of what would show on his face if he did.

 

“Um, yeah, that’s uh, that great,” Keith said quickly, and turned, tripping over his own feet, to run to his stool. Lance let out a breath he hadn’t even realised he was holding in the first place. Surely Keith had noticed the weird mood in the air. Surely Lance wasn’t the only one who was the _tiniest_ bit hard right now.

 

“Okay, you’re just gonna have to hold this position for a little while, while I block out the pose,” Keith informed Lance. “You can talk right now, but later I’ll have to capture your expression, so you’ll have to be quiet, if that’s even possible, I mean,” he chuckled. Lance grinned and winked.

 

“Please. You’re the one who never shuts up about fucking cryptids! Have you seen your _Skype_ name?!” He shot back with a triumphant smirk.

 

“Oh, fuck off,” Keith rolled his eyes but smiled. The rest of the evening passed smoothly, Lance only complaining once or twice, or maybe a few hundred times about how much his back ached, mainly because he craved Keith’s sympathy, which to his annoyance he never received. A couple of hours later, Keith _finally_ put down his pencils, and Lance jumped up with relief, shaking out his stiff legs and arms. The two of them ordered enough Chinese takeout to feed a family, and pulled a couple of tubs of ice cream out of the freezer.

 

Keith put on Netflix, and they watched movies, and talked and talked into the late hours. Usually, Lance would sleep on the couch while Keith slept in his bed, but that night, Keith fell asleep during the end credits of _The Dark Knight Rises,_ head slumped on Lance’s chest. Lance didn’t have it in him to shake the boy awake when he was finally resting, but he definitely wasn’t strong enough to carry Keith to his room. The only option was for the both of them to sleep here on the couch. There was no way Lance was gonna sleep in Keith’s room alone. That would just be weird.

 

And well, if Lance was being honest, it was kinda nice having Keith snuggled up against him, chest rising and falling to the same rhythms as Lance’s. The other boy looked so at peace, far from his usual stressed self during school. Lance wondered if there was any way to help relieve the pressure Keith constantly put himself under. Just being there for him didn’t nearly feel like enough.

 

Lance exhaled, and swallowed. The last thing Keith needed right now was the added burden of his best friend confessing that he had feelings for him. That would be pure selfishness on Lance’s part, and he’d never want to make Keith’s life more complicated. 

 

“After all of this is over.” Lance made a whispered promise to himself, right there in Keith’s living room at 1:24 am, face lit up from the glaring blue of the TV screen. “After we graduate, and get jobs and apartments, and don’t have massive amounts of pressure on us, and we’re all happy and carefree, then. _Then,_ that’s when I’ll tell Keith that I love him.” 

 

Lance’s breath caught a bit on the last three words. Sure, he’d thought about it all the time, but he’d never actually said them out loud. _I love you._ Those three words were so powerful, and here was Lance, testing them out, feeling the weight of them on his tongue. He wanted to get used to saying them to Keith. He could just imagine himself with Keith, ten years into the future, in their shared apartment in Los Angeles, telling him ‘I love you,’ as they adopted their dog from the shelter. 

 

Okay, maybe Lance had fantasised about their potential future a bit too much. He really needed to get a life. But for now, in that surreal moment where everything was just as it should be, he could let himself dream.

 

———

 

Keith could feel himself drifting slowly awake, but he didn’t want to. Stubbornly, he held onto the last dregs of sleep, and the dream he’d been having. A dream featuring, of course, the one and only Lance Sanchez. It hadn’t been a one of _those_ dreams, thank god. Then again, Keith had had more than his fair share of _those_ dreams featuring the blue-eyed boy, but only back in the safety of his own home.

 

No, this dream was different. It had, it had been, happy? Keith frowned, and screwed his eyes tightly shut, trying desperately to remember. Lance had been - he had been down on one knee, Keith recalled with joy. The joy quickly transformed to a heavy feeling of dread, though. Lance had been down on one knee, because he’d been… proposing to Keith. There was no denying it. The scenes came rushing back, engulfing Keith. 

 

The two of them had been walking hand in hand through some random, beautiful park, looking a few years older than they were now. Lance had had some scruff on his chin, and Keith had had smile crinkles around his eyes. Lance had been acting distracted and sneaky, so Keith had given in and asked him what was up. Lance had blinked, shaken his head, and said, “Hey, uh, I need to tie my shoe. You walk on ahead.” Keith had been too annoyed to realise Lance was wearing slip on shoes, so he took one step forwards before Lance had called his name. He’d spun around, ready to roll his eyes at whatever predicament Lance had gotten himself into _now,_ but his actions were cut short by the sight of Lance, looking up at him earnestly from his kneeling position, hands cradling a small black velvet box, in which rested a shiny golden ring. The other boy opened his mouth to speak.

 

“Lance, I — ” Keith cut him off.

 

“C’mon, dude, my knee is starting to hurt. This gravel is fucking _painful._ Let me just say my part,” Lance winked, then cleared his throat. “Keith Kogane, my true love and eternal soulmate, would you do me the honour of becoming my husband, till death do us part and all that?”

 

“Yes! Yes, Lance, oh my god, yes!” Dream Keith had exclaimed, tears welling up as he pulled Lance up into a passionate kiss. And then Real Keith had woken up.

 

It was not some vision of the future! It was just a dream! It wasn’t ever going to actually happen, Keith forced himself to believe. He repeated it in his head like a mantra. _Not real, not real, not real, not real, not real, notreal, notrealnotrealnotrealnotreal._ Because _none_ of this was real. Not just the dream, but this whole boyfriend shit Keith had somehow agreed to for reasons unknown.

 

_You know why you agreed to do this,_ some annoying voice in the back of his head corrected him. Keith grimaced. He could admit to himself, at least, that he had done this because it was the closest shot he would get to actually date Lance. But he’d never say that to another living soul.

 

But seriously. A _marriage proposal dream?_ Keith wondered if all the delicious food he’d been eating had made him go crazy. Or maybe it was the copious amounts of sugar he’d been consuming lately. Keith exhaled roughly as he remembered yesterday’s frozen yogurt escapade. Before he could recall the exact details, though, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. It had to be Lance, since there was no familiar warm body pressed against him currently. Keith kept his eyes closed, a tiny part of him futilely hoping Lance would start professing his undying love for Keith as he ‘slept.’ The footsteps got louder, and then the bed wobbled slightly as someone sat by Keith’s side. Keith braced himself for a prank, knowing Lance. Would it be like the classic putting someone’s hand in a warm bowl of water, or maybe just a shaving cream moustache?

 

What came next was far from that. Warm, calloused fingers encased one of Keith’s hands, and started rubbing it gently. But these weren’t Lance’s hands. They were older. Keith could feel the telltale wrinkles, and longer nails. Was it - _Lola?_

 

Keith’s prediction was confirmed as the woman began to sing quietly, a tune he’d never heard before. It was a melancholy couple of notes, repeated over and over again as she massaged Keith’s hand. Keith opened his eyes slowly, like he was just waking up, and saw Mrs Sanchez was indeed the woman. What alarmed Keith, though, were the tears in her eyes.

 

“Uh, Lola?” He asked. The older woman stopped singing immediately, and stood up.

 

“Oh! I’m so sorry for waking you up, sweetheart. I’ll leave you be,” Mrs Sanchez turned around. 

 

“No, wait!” Keith called after her. “Uh… Is something wrong?”

 

Lola gave Keith a sad smile. “Not at all, darling. It’s more like the other way around.” Keith didn’t know how to respond to that, so he kept his mouth shut. Lance’s mom sighed softly, then came and sat on the edge of the bed.

 

“I’m just….” She began. Lola sniffed, shaking her head at herself. “Lance…The whole family’s been pestering him for years to bring someone home. And then he finally brings you home. And I’mjust so, so happy for him. I’ve seen the way he acts around you. It’s the happiest he’s ever been. When he was much younger, before he met you, he struggled far more than he deserved. He had tremendous insecurities, my poor baby. But on that first day when you joined Stuart Windsor, he came home and _all_ he talked about was the beautiful new boy at school. It was near impossible to get him to talk about anything else! He thought I wouldn’t overhear, that it was just Maria who knew. But he underestimated his Mama.”

 

Keith’s eyes widened as he took this all in. Lance had thought he was…Beautiful? Just that simple statement made Keith’s heart race. Plus, it added to his sneaking suspicions from yesterday. Lola continued to speak, not noticing the minor heart attack Keith was currently having.

 

“So, I suppose it’s just the old woman in me being sappy over my boy growing up so fast. I’m sorry for troubling you, Keith. But, and don’t tell Lance I said this now, I really believe that you have been the best part of his life for the past couple of years. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” The woman stood up, and before Keith could question himself, he jumped up and gave her a warm hug. 

 

“Thank you,” He murmured softly. “For everything.”

 

 

———

 

Lance dangled his feet over the edge of the small wooden jetty. His toes skimmed across the surface of the lake, sending circular ripples through the blue water. A blurred reflection stared back up at him as he gazed without really seeing.

 

His mind was a mess. Somehow, even after staying up till 4am mindlessly browsing his phone, Lance had woken earlier than Keith. He’d needed space, and had come straight to the lake, where he knew he could be alone and unbothered. He wanted a distraction, not to have to worry about stupid things like kissing or crushes or shit like that.

 

Lance stood up, checked there was nothing in his swimming trunks’ pockets, (long story, ending in a waterlogged phone), then dived neatly into the sparkling depths. He stayed under just to the point where it felt like his chest would burst, then broke the surface, gasping slightly for air. It had been a while since he had swum, _properly_ swum, not the play-fighting he and Keith had done a few nights ago. 

 

Lance refused to think about any of the other events of that night. 

 

He made his way to the closer end of the lake, and taking a deep breath, started to swim, hard and fast. Length after length after gruelling length, barely pausing for rest. His muscles began aching at around lap sixteen, but that didn’t stop him. Rather, he pushed on further, carving gracefully through the water, the only thoughts in his head, _“pull, kick, reach, pull, kick, reach…”_

 

Eventually, Lance could barely lift his arms to reach. He had lost track of counting at around lap forty-something. Exhausted, he dragged himself, panting, up onto the sun-scorched planks and collapsed gratefully, the heat enveloping his shivering body. No more than a few seconds passed before a shadow loomed over him, blocking the light.

 

It was Maria. She looked down at him with one eyebrow raised, then said, “Get up, c’mon. We all have to get ready for the lunch and reception.”

 

Lance groaned, and clumsily pushed himself up off the planks. Maria caught his elbow as he staggered slightly, and looked him in the eye. “Lance. You know, if you’re worrying about something, I’m always here for you, yeah?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Lance muttered, picking up his towel and mussing his hair. 

 

“No, seriously. If anything, any _one,_ is bothering you, you can tell me. Okay?” Maria said.

 

Lance looked at her properly, furrowing his brow. Should he tell her the truth? He knew she wouldn’t tell Mami, that was for sure, but…

 

Nope. Wasn’t worth the risk. It pained Lance to lie to his closest family member, but it was for the best.

 

“I’m fine, I swear,” He insisted, fighting the annoying voice in his head which was urging him to tell Maria everything. “Gotta say though, it’s really cute how much you care about me!”

 

“It’s not _that_ cute,” Maria grumbled. “It’s more like…Normal human behaviour.” Lance grinned.

 

“Admit it, you l-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ve me,” He sang, dancing circles around the girl as she tried to punch his shoulder. “Does my baby sister want a hug from her _favourite_ brother?” he teased, darting in and giving Maria a soaking wet hug.

 

“EW! Lance, you little fucker!” Maria shouted, pushing him away. “Go annoy your boyfriend or something, and tell him that the both of you need to _get ready!_ ”

 

“Okay, Miss Bossy Pants,” Lance smirked, bringing back an old, and much-hated nickname from their childhood. Maria made a face of outrage, and Lance sprinted back to the house before she could push him in the lake, reception or not.

 

———

 

Lance burst through their bedroom door (weird, when did he start thinking of it as _theirs_ instead of just _his_ ), to see Keith just coming out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist in a way that made Lance’s heart clench. Keith didn’t look too surprised to see Lance in swimming trunks, but there was a weird expression on his face that Lance just couldn’t quite put his finger on.

 

“Hey,” Lance smiled at him. “You clearly got the memo to get changed already.”

 

Keith half-smiled back. “Yeah, I did. Were you _swimming_?”

 

Lance stuck his chest out with a proud grin. “Dude, I swam like a _million_ laps of the lake, I’m pretty much Michael fucking Phelps or something.”

 

“I’m sure,” Keith agreed sarcastically. “Hey, uh, so what exactly is happening today? I’m still a bit confused, sorry.”

 

“Nah, it’s chill. I wouldn’t have know if my mom hadn’t drilled it into my head like a million freaking times,” Lance shrugged. The cold was biting at his body, making his swimming trunks cling to him like a sopping wet, freezing cold cat. “One sec,” he told Keith. Lance ducked past the other boy into the bathroom, and stripped, planning to change into some underwear before he was dry enough to wear his suit.

 

Crap. He’d forgotten to bring any in. Lance took a deep breath.

 

“Hey, uh, Keith? Do ya mind passing me some boxers?” Lance called, praying his voice sounded normal.

 

“Yeah, sure, where are they kept?” Keith called back.

 

Oh. Okay. That was _way_ less awkward than Lance had predicted. The door handle creaked open and Keith, eyes screwed tightly shut, handed Lance a pair of his navy boxers. 

 

“Thanks dude,” Lance said, pulling them on quickly and coming out. Keith was wearing his own boxers now, and was spread-eagled on the bed, one arm resting on his face. Lance bounced on to the bed next to him, then propped himself up on his elbow and faced the other boy. “So, you want to know what’s happening today, right?” 

 

Keith rolled over to face him, and wow, okay, their faces were very close. “Yeah,” He murmured, and Lance noticed a rasp to his voice. He frowned, and looked at the other boy’s eyes. If he squinted he could see a faint redness. Had Keith been crying? Fuck. Lance had been selfish, like he always was. Leaving Keith last night, leaving him again this morning, to what? Go swimming? Meanwhile, Keith had been here, upset. And Lance hadn’t been there to comfort him. He was so fucking selfish.

 

“Keith?” Lance asked gently. He could try and fix this. “Keith, buddy, are you alright? You can tell me anything, you know.” He didn’t realise how similar his words were to Maria’s this morning until they came out of his mouth.

 

Keith didn’t respond. 

 

———

 

Keith couldn’t respond. How could he? Lance was staring at him, with those gorgeous blue eyes full of concern, and Keith couldn’t speak. He wanted, _God,_ he wanted so badly to surge forwards and kiss Lance, but…

 

He couldn’t. It’d be pure selfishness. When Lance was ready, he’d tell Keith. If Keith made the first move, Lance could be scared off, or worse. Keith just had to be patient a little longer. But damn, that was harder than he’d thought. 

 

Lance was still looking at him. Keith forced an awkward smile, and yawned loudly. “Nah, I’m fine. Just tired.” He prayed Lance didn’t realise that Keith had fallen asleep before him and woken up after.

 

The other boy nodded, but looked unconvinced. “Okay, if you say so, I guess.”

 

“I am, I swear!” Keith said, reaching his finger out to poke Lance in the chest, then his side. Lance batted his finger away, laughing.

 

“Well, if you’re totally sure. Now, you want to know what’s happening today? Well, first we’re all gonna drive up to the hotel, and check into our rooms. Oh yeah, we’re sharing a room there as well, obviously. Then, we’ll go to the lunch, which is where we’ll be forced to meet every one of my relatives…”

 

Keith gazed at the other boy, not even listening anymore. One day, hopefully sooner rather than later, Lance would be ready. Keith would just have to be content with this for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't kill me pls 
> 
> if u liked this chapter (which i hope you did!), it only takes one second to press that kudos button and just a few more to leave a nice comment!! 
> 
> if you want to talk to me, here's my [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mcgaynes/) again !! so hmu esp. if u wanna talk abt this fic/klance/voltron !! i also have a [tumblr](http://astrocadets.tumblr.com/) so check me out there too but im not as active on there :')))
> 
> thank you all again. im so so so glad there are people out there who enjoy what i write. love as always, alisha <3
> 
> (btw comment if u noticed that the chapter number has changed from 12 to 13 :0)


	9. i surrender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance struggles with his feelings for Keith, which has interesting consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp,, here it is. nine months after my last update and here i am!! with a chapter i am wholeheartedly proud of and genuinely enjoyed writing. if you've been here since the beginning, well holy fuck thank you for sticking with me. if you're new here, i hope you enjoy my writing. consider this my early christmas present to all of you <3

“Papa, can you see the hotel yet?” Leo asked curiously. The little boy was sitting in between Keith and Lance, his attention distracted by the small fire truck which he had been fidgeting with during the car ride.

 

“Nope, not yet, buddy,” Mateo Sanchez said to his younger son. “We’re still a good twenty or so minutes away, I’m afraid.” Lance sighed quietly. They’d been driving for nearly two hours now, and he was getting antsy.

 

Leo pouted, and put the toy in his pocket. “I’m bored,” he announced. “Lance, can we play I Spy?”

 

“Yeah, of course,” Lance agreed. He had been hoping to catch a few minutes of shut-eye, but clearly that wouldn’t be happening now. “Keith, Maria, Papa? You guys in?”

 

“Heck yeah!” Maria said.

 

“Sure, I’m in too,” Mateo said.

 

Lance turned and looked at Keith over Leo’s head. “Keith?”

 

No response. Lance craned his neck to catch a glimpse of the other boy’s face. He chuckled. Keith was sleeping, his eyelashes casting long shadows upon his cheekbones. His lips were pursed slightly, and a feather-thin strand of drool was stuck to his chin.

 

“Keith’s asleep,” Lance whispered to his family. “We have to be quiet, okay?”

 

They nodded, and the game began. Approximately thirty seconds into the first round, Lance started yelling at the top of his lungs at Maria that she was a “Dirty cheater! You know damn well that seatbelt begins with an _S, not a T!_ I don’t care that you still have a bit of a lisp! You annoying little - !”

 

Keith jerked awake, hastily wiping the saliva off his face. “Wha - What’s going on? Are we there yet? What’s happening!”

 

“LOOK WHAT YOU DID, MARIA,” Lance screeched wildly. His older sister burst into peals of laughter. Keith stared around blankly in confusion. Mateo shook his head.

 

\------

 

“Alright, does everybody have their bags?” Lola fussed around them in the lavish hotel lobby. “Lance, sweetie, here’s your and Keith’s room key. Since we had to change the booking to a double bed rather than a single, you two are on the eighth floor, room 803. The rest of us are on the third floor. If there are any problems at all, me and your father are in room 372.”

 

“Cool, Mami,” Lance took the card key from his mother and spun it lightly in his fingers. “Can we head up now? I really wanna explore the pool before we have to get ready for the lunch.”

 

“Sure, but you better not be late,” Lola warned her son. “You boys have to be ready in your suits in the reception hall by 1:00 pm latest, okay?”

 

“Gotcha.” Lance gave his mom a thumbs up and turned to Keith, who was looking with wide eyes at the extravagantly decorated reception. His sharp collarbone was peeking out from his oversized Harvard sweater, and Lance gritted his teeth. Goddamn Keith. Even after a nearly three-hour car ride, the guy still managed to look like he modelled for Abercrombie & Fitch, if they didn’t just hire white people.

 

“Okay, well, bye guys!” Maria said, smiling brightly, then looked at the boys. “Lance, Keith, no offense, but I’m so glad you two are on another level. Don’t keep the rest of the people on your floor up too late  - if you know what I mean.” She winked exaggeratedly.

 

Keith let out a strangled cough.

 

“Maria!” Lola Sanchez gave her daughter a gentle slap on the shoulder. Maria laughed loudly.

 

“Nah, Maria’s just jealous because she isn’t getting any, and I’m getting _all_ of this,” Lance shot back. It was nice to see Maria’s jaw drop. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Keith blushing furiously.

 

“Why, you little - !” She threw herself at Lance, mercilessly tickling his ribs. Lance gasped and tried to push her away, to no avail.

 

“Stop - ah! Maria! ¡Lo siento! I’m sorry!” Lance squealed. Maria snickered and released him. Lance panted heavily and flopped down onto the carpet, which weirdly, smelled really good. Were they putting cologne into the carpets here? Lance wouldn’t doubt it. This hotel was bougie as fuck.

 

“You two!” Lola scolded them loudly. “Acting like you were raised in a jungle, I tell you! What am I supposed to do with you, hmm.” She shook her head vehemently and frowned, but there was a teasing glint in her eye.

 

“Sorry, Mami.” Lance apologised contritely. He had mastered the art of apologising without really meaning it, and his mom knew that, which is why she just rolled her eyes with fond exasperation. “Okay, bye!” He grabbed Keith’s hand and pulled him enthusiastically towards the lift lobby, almost tripping over his feet in his hurry.

 

“I suppose it was too much to hope that we would be able to check in without any trouble, huh,” Keith deadpanned, a smirk tugging up the corner of his mouth. Lance poked him in the side, and Keith let out a giggle that made Lance’s heart _thunk_ softly.

 

“Yeah, sure,” Lance murmured.

 

Keith’s brow furrowed, and opened his mouth as if to speak, but the cheerful chime of the lift arriving cut through the moment. They got in, and an uncomfortable silence enclosed them as the doors shut painstakingly slowly. Lance yawned loudly into the palm of his hand. Keith shuffled his feet.

 

Lance hated it. He hated how since this morning, everything had become weird and different. When he and Keith were in front of his family, they were all flirtatious glances and joking banter, but as soon as it was just them again, the awkwardness descended in a heavy cloud till they could barely sustain a conversation for more than twenty seconds. He despised it, but he had no idea why or how it had happened. Lance remembered Keith’s tear-stained face from earlier, and bit his lip hard.

 

Keith wanted this all over with. It had to be that. He was sick and tired of having to play Lance’s doting boyfriend, when he wasn’t in the slightest romantically attracted to him. Lance didn’t blame him. It was pretty unfair, when he thought about it.

 

So, they just needed to talk, right? That’s what would make things normal again. Lance could plead for him to just keep pretending to be his boyfriends for these last two days, then they could go back home and forgot any of this ever happened. Keith could start dating some gorgeous underwear model who always said the right thing, and Lance could drown his sorrows in a bottle of whiskey. That seemed to be the best case scenario.

 

Lance snuck a glance Keith’s way. The other boy was looking dead ahead. He took a deep breath, and summoned the courage required to say those often ill-fated words.

 

“Ithinkweneedtotalk,” Lance stammered.

 

Keith furrowed his brow again. “Sorry, what?”

 

“Uh, nothing. Just clearing my throat, haha.” Lance attempted.

 

 _Really, Lance? What are you fucking_ **_doing_ ** _?_

 

Lance coughed, and he was about to try again, he _was_ , but to both his agony and relief, the elevator doors slid open. Eagerly taking the escape route, Lance bounded out and sped down the hallway, determinedly not looking back.

 

“Hey, I found our room!” He called back to Keith, still not turning his head. Lance kept his focus on unlocking the door. He swiped the key card through the slot, cursing under his breath when it didn’t work. Turning it sideways had no effect either, as did flipping it over. The little light on the sensor was a persistent red dot, boring into Lance’s skull.

 

“What the fuck?” Lance muttered to himself. From behind, a pale hand encircled his and took the card from his palm.

 

“Let me have a go at it,” Keith said quietly, his eyes downcast, the colour not their usual rich violet, but almost grey. His breath was tickling Lance’s neck, and the boy tensed up as he realised just how close Keith was standing. The proximity was overwhelming, so he stumbled back quickly. The sudden absence of warmth was stark, and chilling, both metaphorically and physically.

 

Keith inspected the key card for a second, then neatly swiped it through the slot. The small light flashed green with an electronic click, and the door swung open. Lance rolled his eyes, and pushed forwards past Keith not too gently. Of _course_ Keith could open the door on his first try.

 

Inside, the room was actually pretty nice. It was more spacious than Lance had anticipated, a double bed overflowing with pillows dominating most of the carpeted floor. A cozy armchair was sitting near the wall, which was entirely glass, showing the small balcony outside. Lance kicked off his sneakers and opened the sliding door. He looked over the edge of the balcony and saw view of the hotel’s expansive gardens. A young couple were strolling down one of the paths, the woman’s head resting on her boyfriend’s shoulder. Lance fought the pang of jealousy that struck him in the chest, watching them in their perfect little bubble.

 

A hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his reverie. For the second time that day, Keith was behind him. But this time, he didn’t look sad, or confused. He looked downright _mad_ _._

 

“Lance, we need to talk,” He said firmly. Lance shook his head, wanting to laugh at the irony of it all. How could Keith say those words so easily when it had been almost impossible for him?    

 

“Yeah, okay, what’s up?” Lance prayed his careless tone hid how fast his heart was pounding. Keith stared into his eyes with that deep gaze of his, which made Lance feel like everything inside him was being laid out for the world to see. A little pissed off, though Lance didn’t quite know why, he broke the eye contact, stalking past Keith and flopping down on the bed, hands behind his head. “Toss me a Snickers from the mini fridge, would you, _babe_?”

 

The term of endearment was venomous in the way which Lance spat it out. He saw Keith flinch, and surprisingly, felt nothing. All his insecurities, anger, and bitterness were fighting to get to the surface, and he couldn’t stop them. Lance watched as Keith turned, opened the fridge door, grabbed the chocolate bar and chucked it at Lance. He caught it and unwrapped it slowly, then took a lingering bite. Keith’s gaze became steely, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“Lance, I’m not joking.” His words were softly spoken, but there was no disguising that the other boy was attempting to control his temper.

 

“Yeah, so? Neither am I. You wanna talk? Go ahead.” Lance spread his arms wide, a sneer playing at his lips. He noticed how Keith closed his eyes for a brief second, and thought:

 

_Yeah, exactly. I knew you were annoyed with me, so just stop fucking hiding it!_

 

He leant his head back into the pile of pillows behind him. They smelled clean. It was nice. Maybe Lance could just stay here awhile.

 

“Lance, I’m just gonna say it. What the _fuck_ is up with you?” Keith’s voice was loud, and insistent. Lance waited a second to see if he had more to say, but nope, that seemed to be it.

 

He raised his head to look at the other boy. Keith was standing there, arms now helplessly by his sides, one fist clenching and unclenching repeatedly, the only sign of his irritation. Lance couldn’t stop the chuckle from bursting from his mouth. It seemed to further confuse Keith, but he couldn’t help it. Lance scrambled to sit up properly.

 

“What the fuck is up with _me_ ? That’s pretty rich coming from _you_ , Kogane,” Lance spat back at him.

 

Keith scoffed. “Oh, so we’re using last names now? Wow, Lance, real mature. And nothing’s up with me! _You’re_ the one who’s been acting so weird.”

 

Lance bristled. “Me? Being weird? Isn’t that just the usual? ‘ _Oh, Lance, you’re so weird.’_ If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that damn phrase, I’d have been rich enough to buy a fake boyfriend off eBay or some shit, and you could have just kept living your life. But jeez, sorry for dragging you into this, when you oh-so-clearly would rather be _anywhere_ than here!” The impassioned speech seemed to take Keith by surprise, as he took a step backwards.

 

“Wait...what? Lance, what the hell are you even talking about?” The disbelief was clear on his face.

 

Lance’s anger finally bubbled over the top. “Don’t play _dumb_ with me, Keith! Okay! I fucking _get it,_ alright! I get it! You’re exhausted of pretending to be my boyfriend! _I get it!_ I don’t even know why the hell I thought this would work, I’m so fucking _stupid_! Maybe, I don’t know, just maybe my dumb ass thought that this would help me get over my four-year-long fucking crush on you!” Lance gasped and cut himself off as he realised what he’d just admitted.

 

There. He had said it. Now everything was out in the open. Lance squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t bear to see the look of disgust on Keith’s face.

 

“Lance.” There was something in Keith’s tone which made Lance blink his eyes open. He sniffled, which was when he realised he’d started crying at some point while he was talking. Balefully, he rubbed his knuckles against his nose, refusing to look up.

 

“What.” His voice was void of emotion.

 

“Oh, _Lance._ ” Keith murmured. His voice was tender, and heated Lance from the ends of his hair to the tips of his toes. He hated, how even right before Keith was about to deliver words of cold rejection, his voice still warmed him like a familiar fluffy blanket.

 

“Don’t ‘oh, Lance,’ _me,_ Keith, I’m not a fucking baby. Just say it, okay? All I want is just.. Is that.. Just, please keep pretending till the trip is over?” Lance couldn’t stand the neediness in his words. He hated himself.

 

“ _Lance._ ” Keith’s voice was annoyingly persistent. There was a soft _thud_ as the other boy sat down on the bed, shifting so that he was facing Lance. The way they were sitting was practically identical to the way they had been that first night, when Keith had kissed him under the stars, Lance noted with a cool sense of detachment. He pushed that memory away. This was painful enough. He didn’t need to look at Keith and have a reminder of just how soft his lips were, or the way he liked to thread his hands through Lance’s hair, pulling gently when the kiss would get more heated.

 

Keith spoke quietly. “Lance, I don’t want to pretend anymore. I can’t.” The words sent a cold shock through Lance’s body. He’d hoped that at the _very_ least, Keith would have agreed to keep up the pretense. At the same time, the rational side of his brain told him just how deluded Lance would have to be to think that would have ever happen.

 

Yet, somehow, even though he’d seen it coming, the sharp ache cut straight to his heart. Lane swallowed. He couldn’t bring himself to speak.

 

“Okay,” he whispered, the word nearly choking in his throat. He took a shuddering breath, desperately willing his heart rate to slow.

 

Keith took Lance’s hands into his own. His grip was unbelievably delicate, and Lance was astonished to find that the other boy’s hands were trembling. Lance looked up. He had to. Keith’s eyes were as dark and infinite as the depths of the ocean, and they were fixated on Lance’s own. What was Keith doing? This wasn’t how you break up with someone you had been pretending to date. Sure, Lance had never been in this situation before, but _still._

 

“Lance,” Keith said, and _wow,_ his voice was lower and raspier than Lance thought was even humanly possible. “Lance, I don’t want to be your fake boyfriend anymore.”

 

Lance furrowed his brow. “Yeah, I got it, Keith. You already _said_ that.” He moved to put his hands back in his lap, thank you very much, but Keith wouldn’t let him.

 

Keith bit his lip. “Lance, I want…” His voice stuttered, and Lance followed the movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. The pounding of his heart was deafening, but somehow he still heard the other boy when he said, “I want to be your boyfriend. Like, for real.”

 

Lance forgot how to breathe. He had to be dreaming. Or maybe this was some kind of sick practical joke.

 

“No…” He muttered.

 

Keith’s eyes widened in shock, and he dropped Lance’s hands abruptly. “Oh. Oh, okay. I mean, I just thought -  I’m sorry.” His face was dismal, eyes darting anywhere but Lance’s face.

 

Lance quickly realised his mistake. “No! Oh my God Keith, no that’s not what I meant, I just -” He spread his hands helplessly, the situation too much for him. “Is this real? Is this actually happening right now? You - Keith Kogane, actually want to, to _date_ me - Lance Sanchez?”

 

Keith visibly let out a breath. “ _Yes_ , Lance. A thousand times yes.” He looked down, shyly, his cheeks tinged pink. “I - I mean, if you want to.”

 

“Keith! I literally _just_ declared that I’ve had a crush on you since the day we met, and you’re asking me if I want to date you?!” Lance shouted. “Of fucking _course_ I do!”

 

Keith let out that adorable giggle which made Lance’s heart swell up. “Well, then. Now, I don’t need an excuse to do _this._ ” The other boy leant in, as did Lance, until their lips were infinitesimally close. Lance’s eyes fluttered from Keith’s burning gaze, to his red, red lips, and back again. A second passed, and then another, and then Keith kissed him, really kissed him, his mouth warm and soft and perfect, and it was so familiar yet so exquisitely different because it was _real,_ and Keith actually wanted this, wanted _Lance_.

 

Time flowed to a stop, and Lance let out a tiny gasp as he wrapped his hands around Keith’s nape. He was acutely aware of the other boy’s heartbeat thudding perfectly in sync with his own, of the way Keith’s hands had immediately flown to his hair and had stayed there, tugging ever so slightly. The kisses they had shared before paled in comparison to this, they were _nothing_ , and then Keith bit down on Lance’s lower lip and fireworks went off behind Lance’s closed eyes as he surrendered his mouth to the other boy’s relentless onslaught. Keith practically growled, a low noise that made Lance giggle because clearly this wasn’t enough for Keith either. Lance bit the silent question into Keith’s jaw, and was rewarded with Keith grabbing his hands and pushing him into the mattress, lowering his body to kiss a trail from Lance’s lips to his collarbone.

 

Lance let out a breathy whimper, arching his back up to get closer to Keith, eliminating any space between their bodies. His hands slid up Keith’s hoodie, mapping out the lean muscles of his back, clutching at his shoulders as Keith fastidiously sucked a mark into his neck. The hoodie was too much of a barrier, Lance decided quickly, and pulled it off, discarding it to the side. Somehow his shirt came off as well, and then Keith’s hands were fiddling at his belt buckle, and Lance moaned shamelessly. Keith grinned at that, a wicked glint in his eye, and Lance surged upwards to capture his mouth in his own once more, craving the taste of sugar and citrus, which came from the cheap cologne Keith bought from the dollar store but had a scent which Lance was addicted to. Keith’s hands were everywhere, setting him aflame with his touch, and all of Lance’s senses were overwhelmed.

 

“Fuck, Keith, I _need_ -”

 

“I know, I know,” Keith panted into his mouth as a response. “I want you, so bad it hurts, Lance.” Lance kissed him harder at that, trying to show how much those words meant to him.

 

“Please, Keith - I’m yours,” Lance pleaded, scraping his nails down Keith’s spine. “I’m yours.” Keith huffed out a short breath, and Lance watched as his pupils dilated, black nearly overpowering violet.

 

“Lance,” he kissed a spot behind Lance’s ear, “We don’t have - you know, protection.”

 

Fuck. Lance had completely forgotten about that. They needed a condom and lube if they actually wanted to do anything, and Lance had been through too many awkward Sex Ed lessons to ever consider going without. Then Keith fastened his mouth to Lance’s clavicle and bit down, and all rational thought flew out the window.

 

“We don’t need it,” Lance assured the other boy. Keith drew back, looking concerned.

 

“Uh, Lance -” He began.

 

“Just trust me,” Lance placed a hand on Keith’s chest and pushed him to the side, flipping their positions so he was the one on top. Lance gave Keith one more scorching kiss before licking and sucking his way down the flat planes of his torso. He pulled down the other boy’s sweatpants in one smooth motion, tossing them off the bed without a second thought.

 

Lance was greeted with Keith’s bare legs, his thighs paler than the rest of him, just _begging_ to be touched, and Lance happily obliged, kissing and nibbling at the soft skin.

 

“Lance,” Keith groaned, voice strained and tight. “God, Lance, please.” His hands were fisted tightly in the bedsheets, knuckles a stark white. Lance didn’t break eye contact as he sucked a particularly possessive mark into the skin just above Keith’s hip.

 

“No touching,” he murmured. Keith nodded, biting his lip.

 

Lance hooked his fingers around the waistband of Keith’s briefs, and began pulling down.

 

\------

 

Lance was moving at a torturously slow pace, and Keith felt like he was about to explode. The touch of the other boy’s long fingers on his hips was nearly enough to bring him over the edge. After what seemed like an eternity, Keith’s briefs came off. Lance licked his lips, which should have been fucking illegal, and without warning, swallowed Keith down in one go.

 

“Lance!” Keith shouted, bucking his hips up frantically. Lance looked up at him through those long, dark, lashes of his, and pulled off with a _pop_ , a thread of spit hanging off his lower lip.

 

“Problem?” He asked, smirking, his voice deeper than Keith had ever heard it before.

 

“Just - fuck, Lance, don’t you dare stop,” Keith pleaded.

 

“As you wish, _sir_ ,” Lance grinned, and wow, that _did_ something to Keith, because a spike of heat drove through his body, and he growled, letting go of the bedsheets with one hand to tangle it possessively in Lance’s hair. Lance didn’t seem to care, instead just dove back in, kissing and licking messily at Keith’s length, before swallowing him down once more. He hummed lowly in the back of his throat, and Keith felt it, felt _Lance_ , as he did something spectacular with his tongue. Keith inhaled sharply, and without meaning to, pulled at the other boy’s hair.

 

To his dismay, Lance pulled off again, lifting his head and moving up Keith’s body, making sure to press every inch of his bare brown skin against Keith’s own. Lance brought his lips to Keith’s ear, and murmured very softly:

 

“ _Use me,_ Keith _._ I’m yours, remember?” Then he slid back down, and placed both of Keith’s hands in his hair. Keith was still processing what exactly had just happened when Lance lapped fervently at his head, and Keith sure as hell wasn’t religious but he thanked every holy entity for this. He pushed his hips upwards while simultaneously shoving Lance’s head down, and fuck, if this wasn’t every single wet dream he’d ever had happening at once. Minutes later, he was coming in heavy spurts which Lance eagerly swallowed, the white drops contrastingly sharply on his face.

 

Lights flashed behind Keith’s eyes as he shuddered through the last of his orgasm. He whined slightly at the loss of contact, and opened them to see Lance beaming at him, his clear blue eyes gleefully innocent. Yanking Lance up by his shoulders, he enveloped the other boy’s mouth in his own, burning kisses into his jawline, lips, neck, then broke off just as suddenly.

 

“My turn,” Keith purred, then smoothly flipped them back around. Lance was about to get the best damn blow job of his life.

 

“ _Fuck, Keith!”_ Lance’s yell echoed around the room just moments later.

 

\------

 

Lance stood nervously outside Maria’s hotel room. He rang the doorbell a second time, shuffling his feet.

 

“Yes, I heard you the first time! What is it?” He heard her grumble from the inside as she made her way to the door. She opened it, frowning, and Lance bit his lip as he saw how wide her eyes went at the sight of him.

 

“Jesus, _hermano._ What the hell happened to you? Did you get attacked by a feral cat or something?”

 

“Uh...something,” Lance muttered, staring at the ground. “Do you - by any chance - have a way to cover _this_ up?” He gestured haplessly at the various dark purple bruises dotting the exposed areas of neck that the suit didn’t cover. It was bad, he knew.

 

After hours and hours, they had finally stopped kissing and reluctantly began getting ready, when Lance lifted his hands over his head and _stretched,_ groaning. Keith’s eyes had darkened immediately, and he’d practically pounced on Lance, launching himself across the room to kiss him to his heart’s content. Lance had been more than happy to oblige him at the time, not realising that he actually had to meet his entire family today, and having twelve hickies on your neck wasn’t exactly the best conversation starter.

 

Maria eyed him critically. “I mean, it’s gonna take a crap ton of concealer, but I think I can make it work. Come on.” Lance followed her meekly into her room, thankful she wasn’t asking anymore questions.

 

“Oh, and Lance?” She said, pulling out her makeup bag.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I’m sure Keith needs some concealer, too. Just text him already and tell him to get his ass down here. I’m not having you two meet _abuela_ with hickies all over yourselves, mmkay?”

 

Lance bit back a curse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they did that!!!!!!! anyways i really hope u enjoyed :) leaving kudos or a comment rlly mean the most to me so if u did i'd be super happy !! please tell me what you thought, i put lots of work into this chapter and must have rewritten it at least four times lol. love as always, and hopefully see you soon with a new update xx


	10. your love is my turning page

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch, a challenge, a funny bartender, relatives, a pillow fight, and other stuff that's far more interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whomst was expecting an update so soon,,,, not me bitch that's for sure lmao! i worked my a$$ off to get this up asap for you all so i hope it payed off!
> 
> i wanted to say a massive thank you for over 2000 kudos,, i never dreamed this fic would get that many so it's really a dream come true!! so much love for you incredible readers who continue to support me.
> 
> hope u enjoy :)

“Okay, well, that’s the best I can do for you, buddy,” Maria stepped back from where she’d been carefully applying concealer and some sort of white powder to Keith’s neck. Some of it had flown up his nose at  first, making it itch furiously. Keith had forced himself to wrinkle it vigorously rather than sneeze all over the girl who was saving his and Lance’s asses in front of Lance’s entire family.

 

“Thank you so much, Maria,” he said sheepishly, bringing a hand up to scratch the back of his neck. This definitely was one of the most awkward situations he’d ever been in, and he was grateful that Maria hadn’t teased them too much about it. Keith was sure he would have imploded from embarrassment otherwise.

 

“You’re thanking me, but you haven’t even seen the finished product yet?” Maria raised an eyebrow and held up a small mirror so Keith could examine her work. 

 

“Holy shit. Okay,  _ wow _ .” Keith’s neck looked perfectly ordinary, and if he hadn’t known that there was a purple hickey the size of Texas just under his left ear, he would never have been able to tell that something was amiss. “Maria, you are fucking amazing.”

 

“And you are fucking… my brother, so keep in mind that that’s the only reason I did this for free,” Maria winked. 

 

Keith let out a snort, and gave Maria a well-deserved fist bump. “Speaking of, where  _ is _ Lance?” 

 

Keith had come down to a room with just Maria in it, but he knew the boy had to be in here somewhere.

 

Maria gestured to the bathroom. “He’s in there. He begged me to let him use some of my makeup, but I’m not entirely sure he knows what he’s doing. I should probably go check on him.”

 

Keith nodded, and reached up to touch his neck and see if he could feel the difference, but a lightning-quick hand on his wrist stopped him. 

 

“NO!” Maria shouted. “Shit, sorry! I forgot to spray it with setting spray. All my hard work would have smudged away at your first hug otherwise.”

 

Keith had no idea what setting spray was, but he bared his neck to her once more. “Uh, do what you have to do, I guess.”

 

Maria was already pulling out a black bottle from her massive makeup bag. “Close your eyes for a sec,” she instructed him. Keith obeyed, and felt the coolness as she sprayed his neck twice.

 

“Alright, done!” Maria punched him lightly on the shoulder. “I’m the best, aren’t I?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, if you say so,” Keith teased.

 

Just then, Lance emerged from the bathroom, straightening his tie. “Maria, I’m done! Oh, hey babe!” He gave Keith a beaming smile, and walked up to him, whistling a cheerful tune.

 

“I’m gonna go get ready, so you guys can stay here and chill, or go back to your room if you want,” Maria called out as she gathered up her clothes and went to the bathroom.

 

Keith nodded absentmindedly. His mouth was dry. Lance had always been good-looking, but now? He was  _ beautiful. _ Keith didn’t know much about makeup, but he could tell Lance had put the tiniest bit of silver glitter on his eyes, as well as mascara (he thinks that’s what it was called?), which made his deep blue irises seem even bigger and more alluring. His skin was positively  _ glowing _ , and he’d also done something to his lips so that they were stained a luscious cherry red, and Keith bit his own lip hard because holy fuck, this kind of beauty had to be illegal.

 

Lance could clearly tell what he was doing to Keith, because he smirked devilishly, leaned in and muttered, “Like what you see, Kogane?” 

 

“Maybe I do,” Keith murmured back, willing his voice to remain steady. “Maybe I’m remembering exactly what those lips were doing just a few hours ago.” 

 

Lance let out a shaky exhale, and Keith watched, entranced, as the other boy’s eyes darkened almost immediately. Screw the lunch. Keith wanted nothing more to take Lance back to their room, jump in bed, and stay there for the rest of the day. Now that they were genuinely together, it was only fair they made up for lost time.

 

Lance leaned in almost imperceptibly closer, soft lips just barely grazing Keith’s own. With a growl, Keith’s hand flew up to tangle in Lance’s hair and pull him in, but the other boy was too fast and took a quick step back.

 

“Uh-uh-uh,” Lance waggled his finger teasingly at Keith. “You’re not allowed to mess up this beautiful face.” His eyes glinted with mischief. “Someone’s gonna have to be patient, hmm?”

 

Keith took a step forward, effectively removing the distance Lance had put between them. He adored the way Lance’s breath hitched when Keith crowded into his space. 

 

“Oh, babe, I can be as patient as I need to be,” Keith said lowly. “It’s you I’m worried about. I  _ bet _ you’ll be the one pulling me into a bathroom before lunch is over.”

 

Lance turned his chin up defiantly. “Challenge accepted. Loser has to talk to all of my aunties at dinner. Trust me, you won’t enjoy it.” 

 

Keith grinned. “I think you mean  _ you  _ won’t enjoy it. And deal.” He stuck out his hand, and they solemnly shook on it. “Give me one last kiss?” Keith asked, already knowing the answer. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”

 

Lance nodded eagerly, and immediately Keith pressed his lips against his. At first it was chaste, but after a few seconds, Keith licked Lance’s mouth open and without warning, bit gently down on the other boy’s lower lip. It had the desired effect. Lance hissed needily, and grabbed Keith by the hips, forcing them closer together.

 

This time it was Keith’s turn to step out of reach. He could feel the smug smile playing at his lips.

 

“Well, that’s my cue. I think it’s time to head down to the hall now. We wouldn’t want to keep everyone waiting, now, would we?”

 

Lance clenched his fists. “I hate you.”

 

Keith laughed, and took one of the other boy’s hands in his own as they turned to walk out of the room. “You don’t hate me, Lance Sanchez.”

 

Lance sighed. “Yeah, I guess I don’t. Now come on, let’s get this over and done with. I have a challenge to win.”

 

*****

 

Lance took a deep breath as they got nearer to the hall. His cocky exterior was slipping as he realised that he was going to be introducing Keith to his entire family as his  _ boyfriend _ . Lance had no idea what the reactions were going to be. He worried his lower lip with his teeth, ignoring the dull pain.

 

“Hey.” Keith nudged him gently in the side. “What’s up? You look like someone told you that your pet goldfish just died.”

 

Lance shook his head. “It’s nothing.” 

 

They were walking across the lobby, the hall still a few corridors away. Lance gasped in surprise as Keith grabbed his hand and yanked him into a nearby bathroom. 

 

“Whoa, okay, Keith. I’m so hot you couldn’t even last till we got to the lunch, huh?” Lance chuckled, licking his lips. Keith’s gaze dropped down briefly, then snapped back up to stare at Lance. 

 

“Lance, stop it. What’s going on? You’re perfectly fine one moment, and the next, you - you’re digging your nails into your palm and looking terrified?”

 

Lance gulped. He hadn’t even noticed he was clenching his fists, but when he glanced at his hand, he saw the dark crescent moons imprinted there. “Keith, I swear - ”

 

Keith snatched Lance’s hands up and held them to his chest. “Lance, just tell me. You don’t - you don’t regret this, do you?” He made a hand movement that Lance understood to mean their actions earlier on in the day. Keith’s voice was pleading, and Lance couldn’t bear seeing him like this. 

 

“No! No! Keith, I would  _ never  _ regret this. I would never regret  _ us _ . I’m just - it’s just, I’m...” he stuttered out. Keith looked at him, eyes soft and understanding. Lance let out a breath he hadn’t even realised he’d been holding in. “The truth is... I’m scared, Keith,” he confessed. “We’re gonna go in there, and I’m gonna have to explain to everyone that I’m bisexual, and that you’re my boyfriend, and I don’t even think half my family understands what the term bisexual means, and I don’t know how they’re gonna react, and I really want them to like you, but -“ 

 

“Stop it.” Keith cut him off, placing a finger against Lance’s lips. 

 

“Stop... What?” Lance said bemusedly, pushing his finger away. 

 

“Overthinking everything,” Keith replied calmly. “Lance, trust me. It’s going to be fine. We go in, I charm all of your aunts and uncles, we eat some delicious food, we get out. Easy as pie.”

 

Lance scoffed. “Yeah, right. And when the hell have you ever said ‘Easy as pie?’”

 

Keith winked. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, babe.” Lance rolled his eyes. “C’mon. Let’s do this.” Keith grabbed one of Lance’s hands and interlocked their fingers together tightly. Lance felt a rush of affection go through him at the gesture. 

 

“You’re the best. You know that, right?” He murmured as they started walking. 

 

Keith smiled, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I don’t know, Lance. You might have to remind me more constantly, or I could forget. In fact, I think you should tell me all the time.” 

 

“Okay,” Lance said simply. ”Keith Kogane, you are the best person on the planet, and I am honoured to be your boyfriend.” 

 

Keith flushed immediately, and ducked his head. “You’re such a sap,” he mumbled. 

 

“Yeah, but I’m  _ your _ sap,” Lance reminded him happily. And it was true. For as long as Keith would have him, Lance was his. And wow, okay, that spiralled into thoughts of the future, and  marriage, and kids. Lance’s heart stopped as it hit him:  _ He couldn’t imagine a future without Keith.  _

 

“Hey, babe, this is the entrance,” Keith whispered, cutting into Lance’s train of thought. “You good?” 

 

Lance smiled warmly at the other boy. “Yeah. I am.” 

 

*****

 

Keith steeled himself for what was to come. His confident demeanour had seemed to fool Lance, but on the inside he was a mess of jitters and nerves. He couldn’t do much about it, though, because suddenly Lance was giving their names to the man at the door, and they walked in to the large, beautifully decorated room. 

 

Tall tables draped in white cloth were placed around the centre of the room, whilst larger, round tables were placed at both ends, clearly for when the food was to be served and the families would sit down to eat. The room was already bustling with people, and Keith could see kids running around, teens chatting in the corners, and adults mingling, most of them holding a glass of champagne. Keith definitely needed at least one of those to get through the lunch.

 

“Lance, babe.” He tugged on Lance’s jacket gently. “I need alcohol.”

 

Lance chuckled, and squeezed his hand. “Well then, let’s get you some.” His eyes glinted, and he leant in to whisper seductively in Keith’s ear. “But not too much, okay? I want you sober enough to fuck me into the mattress after this.” 

 

Keith inhaled sharply. He’d nearly forgotten about the little game they were playing. Lance grinned when he saw the reaction he’d produced. 

 

“Lance, one. Keith, zero!” Lance gloated. 

 

Keith willed his pulse to slow down. Then, in what he hoped was a relatively normal voice, said, “Fine, come on. First, champagne. Then, we go meet your relatives. After that? I’m taking you up to our room and making sure you won’t be able to sit down for a  _ week. _ ”

 

Keith knew what kind of response this would elicit, and he was right. Lance shuddered gently and closed his eyes. When he opened them, the black of his pupils was overpowering cobalt blue. Keith was delighted. 

 

“Lance, one. Keith,  _ two _ ,” he said, before spinning on his heel to find the open bar.

 

He could hear Lance’s footsteps hurrying behind him.

 

*****

 

“Uncle Lance! Uncle Lance!” The high pitched yells were loud enough to make Keith cough and nearly choke on his drink. He put his glass on the table and looked around for the source.  Almost immediately, he spotted the two tiny kids running at top speed towards him and Lance. They appeared to be twins, one a boy, one a girl, both very similar looking, with identical massive smiles and bright brown eyes.

 

“Julio! Ariana!” Lance crouched down, beamed at the two children and pulled them into a tight hug. “Hey guys! How’s it been!” The kids immediately starting babbling loudly, too fast for Keith to understand. Somehow, Lance did, and the three of them started talking to each other in a messy jumble of English and Spanish. Keith quickly decided he wanted a refill of champagne, and slipped away unnoticed. He doubted the conversation would end quickly, and he’d be back soon.

 

The bartender gave him a polite smile as she refilled his glass, and Keith gave her one in return. He sipped from his glass, observing the scene contentedly, when he felt a soft touch at his elbow.

 

“Oh, hey La -” Keith cut himself off. The person standing next to him was decidedly  _ not  _ Lance. That was, unless, within the last two minutes, Lance had managed to transform into an Emily Ratajkowski lookalike. 

 

“Uh, hi,” he said, not wanting to make more of a fool out of himself. “I’m Keith. I’m, uh -”

 

“I’m Isobel.” The girl interrupted with a smile. Her voice was honeyed. “It’s nice to meet you.” Keith gave her a courteous nod, and took another sip of champagne.

 

“Sorry, was that too forward?” She lowered her eyes bashfully, peeking up through her lashes at Keith. Idly, he noted how she had casually shifted closer to him. “I was just wondering who you were since, no offence, but I don’t quite think you’re related to anyone here.” She smiled, hazel eyes sparkling. 

 

“You’re right.” Keith said, shrugging. “I’m not related to anyone here. I’m actually - ”

 

“That’s perfect,” Isobel purred, placing a hand on his forearm. “I would hate to find out you’re some distant cousin of mine.”

 

Keith finished the rest of his champagne off in one gulp, then turned to place it on the table, simultaneously removing his arm from her grasp. “And why’s that?”

 

Isobel giggled, throwing her swan-like neck back gracefully. Keith thought about Lance’s laugh, how his eyes would crinkle up with mirth when an especially funny joke was made. 

 

“You’re so funny, Keith,” Isobel put her hand on Keith’s arm again. “I’d love to get to know you better. In fact, this hotel has an  _ amazing _ night bar. We should totally check it out! I don’t have any plans tonight.”

 

Keith looked her dead in the eye as he removed her hand from his wrist. “I’m flattered, thanks, but uh, no thanks.” 

 

Isobel scoffed. “Why not?” She sounded positively baffled as to why Keith was turning her down.

 

“I’m gay,” Keith replied with a smile. 

 

Isobel rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that one before.” She smirked. “Trust me, Keith. Just one night with me will make you realise you’ve definitely got a thing for girls over guys.” She leant forward slightly, giving Keith a view straight into her very, very, low-cut dress. 

 

Keith had never been less attracted to someone in his life. 

 

“Mm, I don’t think so, actually,” he said, voice dripping with fake sincerity. “I have to go be with my  _ boyfriend _ now. I would say it was nice talking to you, but I’m an honest guy. See you!” 

 

Isobel gasped. “Wha - What the fuck? You’re so rude! And you know, you’re not even that hot anyways. In fact, I bet you’re lying about having a boyfriend just because you’re too scared to be with a  _ real _ woman.” She spun around and stalked away, hitting Keith in the face with her hair on her way.

 

A few seconds passed while Keith stood there, at a loss for words, until he heard peals of laughter from behind him. He turned to see the bartender cracking up, her hand immediately flying up to cover her mouth. 

 

“I’m so sorry! I just - I’m sorry, but that was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in my  _ life.  _ That girl was a real piece of work, huh.”

 

Keith couldn’t help it. He started laughing, too. It started small, but soon both he and the bartender were nearly crying. 

 

“The way you looked at her when she shoved her cleavage into your face was  _ incredible _ . I wish I had taken a photo!” 

 

“Okay, but in my defence, I’m as gay as it gets. What else was I supposed to do?” Keith gestured wildly. “I’m sorry, I haven’t even asked. What’s your name? I don’t want to keep calling you ‘the pretty bartender’ in my head,” he explained. 

 

“I’m Maya,” she grinned. “And if I didn’t know you were gay, I would’ve thought you were flirting with me because that was the smoothest goddamn pick up line I’ve ever heard.”

 

Keith snorted. He could feel the three, (or was it four?), glasses of champagne he’d had buzzing in his veins. 

 

“Good thing you’re not my type, like at all,” Maya said as she used a tiny pair of tongs to put cubes of ice in an empty glass. 

 

“Oh! You’re a - you’re also - ” Keith fumbled over his words. 

 

Maya raised an eyebrow. “A lesbian? Yes. That’s how I got this job, actually. My girlfriend is one of the many gorgeous people in this room. I should introduce her to you!” 

 

“Yes, please,” Keith said. “My boyfriend is also in this room. He’s really handsome.” 

 

“I’m sure he is,” Maya chuckled. “And I’m also sure that you’re slowly becoming more and more drunk. You need to sober up. Here, drink this.” Keith watched as she pulled a small bottle from under the counter and used it to quickly whip up a vivid green concoction, the same exact colour as her eyes.. Carefully, she poured it into a shot glass and handed it to him. “Bottoms up!”

 

Hesitatingly, Keith took the glass from her hand, and without looking too closely at it, downed it in one go. Almost immediately his eyes started watering at the bitterness of the drink. He gagged, and Maya shook her head, handing him a tall glass of water. 

 

“What the fuck  _ was _ that?” He accused her after chugging the entire glass down. 

 

“Um, I just saved your drunk ass from embarrassing yourself when meeting your boyfriend’s family. A thank you would be nice,” Maya retorted, with no heat in her voice.

 

Keith hated to admit it, but she was right. His mind, which previously had been slightly foggy, was sharp and focused. He felt like he’d never even had a drop of alcohol. “Sorry,” he said. “Thank you. That’s actually amazing. Do I want to know what you put in it?” 

 

“I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you,” Maya teased. Keith chuckled. 

 

“Okay, I really gotta go now,” he said reluctantly. Talking to Maya had been more fun. “I promise I’ll come and find you again before we leave.” 

 

Maya spread her arms wide. “I’m not going anywhere. In fact, I’m bartending tonight for the dinner as well. Any chance you’ll be there?” 

 

“Well, considering this is the anniversary of the parents of the guy I’m dating, I’m pretty sure I’ll be there,” Keith deadpanned.

 

“Okay, Mr Sassy Pants!” Maya laughed. “Now, off you go! Let me do my job!” She made an exaggerated shooing motion.

 

“Alright, alright,” Keith shot her one last grin, then turned to go find Lance. 

 

*****

 

“Okay, guys, I really have to go now, I’m sorry!” Lance hugged the twins one last time and stood up, brushing his suit down. The two little rascals waved at him and scampered away eagerly, probably off to go sneak some marshmallows from the chocolate fountain station. Now, where was Keith? Lance scanned the room anxiously. If he’d been roped into a conversation with Lance’s aunts, there was no saving him. 

 

Finally, he spotted Keith at the bar. Jesus, had he been there the whole time? Lance prayed he hadn’t gotten drunk as a way to ease his anxiety. He watched as the boy chatted to the bartender for a few seconds longer, then turned around. As soon as he made eye contact with Lance, he beamed, and walked quickly towards him. 

 

“Hey,” Lance smiled. “Uh, how many glasses of champagne have you had, exactly? Please tell me you can remember.”

 

Keith snorted. “Lance, it’s all good. I’m perfectly sober. Maya gave me some weird green drink that tasted like absolute shit, but hey, it worked.” 

 

Lance scoffed. “Okay, as long as you’re sure. Also, uh, sorry if you were getting bored! My little cousins are kind of hard to talk to, especially if you don’t understand Spanish, so I get why you left, but still, I’m sorry.” He wanted to hold Keith’s hands, but they still hadn’t told anyone about  _ them _ yet, so he kept them uselessly by his sides.

 

“Don’t worry, Lance,” Keith reassured him. “I was totally fine. Well, actually I had one super weird conversation, but then I started talking to Maya and she’s really funny so, it’s all good.”

 

Huh. “Wait, what do you mean by a super weird conversation?” Lance frowned.

 

Keith shook his head. “Nah, it was just some girl flirting with me, then when I rejected her, she said I wasn’t even that hot and that I was lying about having a boyfriend because I was a pussy, so you know, just the usual.”

 

“What the fuck, Keith?” Lance exclaimed. “You have to be joking - Hold on.” Lance wracked his brains, going through his female cousins one by one. “I don’t suppose her name was Isobel, by any chance?” 

 

Keith looked impressed. “Yeah, it was! How’d you know?” 

 

“Because she’s glaring at me as we speak. And she’s also rude as fuck, which clearly you’ve already seen for yourself.” 

 

“Huh. Okay, well I think we’ve put off meeting your extended family enough now. Come on, let’s do it,” Keith said, holding out his hand. Lance automatically interlocked their fingers together. 

 

“If we must,” he sighed. “Let’s start off with the more chill ones first. My mom’s older sister, Yelena.” 

 

Lance led Keith to the left side of the room, where he could see his kind, yet a little eccentric aunt. Yelena was talking animatedly to two other women, who Lance vaguely recognised as his dad’s older cousins. 

 

“Uh, hi, everyone!”

 

Yelena sprang up when she saw Lance and flung her arms around him, pulling him into a warm embrace. The scent of her signature fruity perfume overwhelmed him. “Lance! My baby! It’s been too long. I thought you’d forgotten all about me!” 

 

“Aunt Yelena, I would  _ never _ .” 

 

His aunt scoffed. “And who’s this handsome young man I see you’ve brought with you?”

 

Lance took a deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak but the words choked in his throat. He felt like he was about to throw up all over his aunt’s high heels. Desperately, he turned to Keith, silently begging him to do something.

 

Like the calm, normal person he was, Keith stepped forwards and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Keith. I’m Lance’s boyfriend.” 

 

There was a painfully long silence, during which everyone in the vicinity just stared at the two of them. Keith had spoken louder than Lance had anticipated, which meant quite a few people had overheard the statement. Keith’s hand was still outstretched, but Lance could see it shaking ever so slightly. He looked at Yelena, and saw tears in her eyes. Fuck. Lance wasn’t sure if he would be able to deal with rejection from one of his nearest and dearest relatives. Then, to his giddying relief, Yelena smiled broadly and pulled Keith into a tight hug as well. When she finally released him, the tears had begun streaming down her face. 

 

“Please don’t cry,” Lance muttered. 

 

“Oh Lance, sweetie. These are tears of happiness! I’m so happy for you both.” Yelena was outright sobbing now. Lance gave Keith’s hand a quick squeeze, and got one in return. This had gone far better than he could have guessed. 

 

“So, Lance, you’re not going to introduce your boyfriend to me?” A voice grumbled from the side. 

 

“Abuelita!” Lance shrieked. He dropped Keith’s hand to go give his grandma a massive hug. She smiled at him fondly. 

 

“Hmm, and who do we have here?” The old woman inspected Keith critically, looking him up and down. Lance saw an embarrassed flush rise to his cheeks, and took his hand again. 

 

“Abuelita, this is Keith. My boyfriend. Keith, this is my grandma, who is one of the most amazing people on the planet. If you thought my mom’s cooking was good, just wait till you taste hers!”

 

“Oh Lance, you flatter me too much.” 

 

Keith smiled. “It’s lovely to meet you, ma’am.” 

 

“Ma’am? Why, he’s got manners, Lance! Maybe he can lend you some of them sometime,” his grandma teased. 

 

“Yeah, yeah, very funny.” Lance shook his head. “So, how’s everyone doing?”

 

“You’re gonna be sorry you asked,” she grumbled. 

 

“Lance! There’s so much you’ve missed! Maybe if you answered my calls once in a while, you’d know!” Yelena grabbed his arm and plunked him in the chair next to him. “First of all, you remember my daughter, Claudia, of course. Anyways, she’s been acting crazy all of a sudden! Honestly, I don’t know what’s gotten into her. Only sixteen and she thinks she knows more than her own mother! I was hoping you’d talk to her, you know how much she adores you.”

 

Lance nodded, and settled more comfortably into his chair. He knew he’d be here for a while. 

 

*****

 

Keith giggled loudly as Lance’s grandma finished her story. He’d never known how much of a little troublemaker his boyfriend had been as a child. 

 

His boyfriend. Keith inhaled as he realised that those words were no longer a cover. They were real. He and Lance had been acting like a couple for so long it was suddenly strange to know that it wasn’t fake anymore. That when they kissed, it was because Keith wanted to feel the familiarity of Lance’s plush lips, rather than them just putting on a show for people around them. It was still hard to believe that after all those years of pining for Lance, Keith was now his actual, official boyfriend. Now that just seemed too good to be true.

 

Keith grinned to himself. When they got back and had the time, he was gonna take Lance on the best date ever. But for now? He was more than content to spend every second watching Lance’s sky-blue eyes light up as he talked animatedly. Those eyes. Keith could spend eternity praising them, and it still wouldn’t be enough time for him to put into words how much he loved the way they sparkled and shone. 

 

Keith was surrounded by hundreds of hues of paint every time he painted, and yet he was somehow still overwhelmed by the colours and the different shades there were to Lance’s eyes. They were mesmerising; somehow incredibly soft, yet also brilliantly electric at the same time. But not the kind of electric that paralysed and stung. No, Lance’s eyes were electric in the way in which they made Keith’s heart rate speed up and his nerves stand on end.

 

Idly, he wondered if this was what it felt like to be in love. 

 

“Hey everyone, the food’s just been served!” Lola’s voice called from nearby, pulling Keith from his reverie.

 

He got to his feet, immediately going up to going up to Lance and sliding an arm around his waist. Lance didn’t even flinch, just pressed a quick but affectionate kiss to the side of Keith’s head. 

 

“Come on, let’s get something to eat,” he murmured into Keith’s hair. “I’m  _ starving _ .”

 

Keith tried to hide the adoration in his eyes when he looked at Lance. “Yeah. Me too.” 

 

*****

 

“Mmmph, this is so good,” Lance moaned as he took another bite of chicken. Maria kicked his leg under the table.

 

“Watch the pornstar moans, please,” his sister muttered to him. “Keith looks like he’s constipated with the effort not to drag you up to your room right now.”

 

Lance very nearly spat out his food. Maria was right. On her other side, Keith was sipping his water with a pointed look on his bright red face. Lance leaned back and put one arm around Maria’s shoulders. 

 

“That’s kind of the point, dearest sister. We may or may not have a bet going on, where whoever - ”

 

“Nope, I really don’t wanna hear about your weird couple kinks, thanks,” Maria cut him off. Lance snorted. 

 

“Okay, okay. I’ll spare you the details. But, I’m gonna do whatever it takes to win. And if I must moan to do that, so be it,” Lance proclaimed.

 

Maria rolled her eyes. “Okay, well, I’m gonna go sit with literally, anyone else. Bye!” She got up, plate in hand, and walked off, leaving Lance and Keith alone at the table.

 

Lance grinned at his boyfriend. “Enjoying the food, babe?” He asked innocently.

 

“Oh, it’s delicious,” Keith nodded emphatically. Lance watched as he reached up to scratch casually at his neck, exposing the sharp lines of his collarbone. Damn it. Keith knew exactly just how to play Lance.

 

“That’s good to hear.” Lance took a long sip of champagne, and revelled in the way Keith’s eyes tracked the movement of his throat as he swallowed. Just then, the piercing screech of a mic giving off feedback cut through the air. They both winced in unison, and looked towards the stage.

 

“Hi, everyone,” Lola Sanchez announced. “I don’t want to distract anyone from eating this  _ delicious _ food, but I do just have a few words I’d like to say.” 

 

Lance’s mom was met with with lively applause, only dying down once she’d cleared her throat a few times. 

 

“You know what’s just so great about things like these? Mateo and I get to see everyone we love, all in one place. It’s amazing.” His mom began, and Lance knew this speech off the top of his head since he’d heard her practicing it at home, so if he zoned out a little, he couldn’t really be blamed. 

 

*****

 

Keith was listening attentively as Lola continued reminiscing on family events he’d had zero knowledge of, when he felt the prickle on the back of his neck which meant he was being looked at. It was pretty easy to guess who was watching him, and when Keith turned his head slightly, his suspicions were confirmed correct. 

 

Lance was staring at him, gaze a little unfocused but definitely on Keith. His lips were parted, and they were even more sinfully red than they had been at the beginning of the lunch. Keith swallowed the urge to stand up right then and there and pull Lance out of the room. The 

challenge was still going on, after all, and Keith was no quitter. 

 

As if he was reading Keith’s mind, Lance smirked slowly, looking like the cat who got the damn cream. Keith rolled his eyes briefly before snapping his attention back to the stage. Lola’s speech was drawing to a close, and just a few seconds later the room was alive with applause and the blinking of glasses. Within the raucousness, Keith heard the sound of a sharp, low whistle. 

 

“Yes, Lance?” He said, not turning to look at him. He knew that they were allowed to leave as soon as Lola’s first speech was over; everyone had made that explicitly clear, Lance especially. But he didn’t want be the one to break first. He wouldn’t be. 

 

“Keith, babe,” Lance purred. Keith bit his lip, and turned to see the other boy wearing a smug grin. “Look down.”

 

Keith rolled his eyes again. “I’m good, thanks.”

 

Lance widened his eyes pleadingly. “Come on-n-n…” he stretched out the syllable. 

 

Keith couldn’t help himself. He glanced down quickly, and saw the items Lance was holding in his hand. When he did, his sharp inhale made Lance laugh wickedly.

 

“Fuck it,” he growled, and leaping out of his chair, he stalked out of the room. He knew Lance would be mere metres behind him, and didn’t bother to look back and check. Maybe he was a quitter, after all.

 

*****

 

“Oh my god, Keith,  _ please _ ,” Lance begged, not caring how desperate he sounded. His calves were wrapped tight around Keith’s naked back, and his hands were scrabbling to get a grip on the sheets underneath him. The hotel room was sweltering with the scent of debauchery, and there were no sounds but their low groans and murmurs echoing around them.

 

Keith chuckled, a low throaty sound in the back of his throat, as he pushed excruciatingly slowly back in. Lance let his head tip back, sinking into the pillow as his mouth fell open in a soft gasp. He began babbling incoherently, a string of profanities and praises jumbled together with Keith’s name, over and over and over again.

 

“Keith, - oh, oh my  _ god,  _ Keith _ ,  _ don’t stop, don’t stop don’t stop, I need -  _ Keith! _ ” 

 

Lance felt rather than heard the moan that rippled throughout Keith’s body as he surged forwards to fasten his lips to Lance’s exposed throat, biting a mark into it like his life depended on it. 

 

Slightly hysterically, Lance wondered if there was a square inch of skin on his neck that wasn’t a bruised purple by now.

 

Keith licked a hot stripe up to his jawline and sucked down, making Lance’s whole body tremble. “Fuck, Lance,” he murmured huskily into his mouth, driving forwards. Lance nearly sobbed with the scorching pleasure that threatened to overwhelm him, and grabbing Keith’s neck with one hand, brought him down for a fervent kiss. Keith kissed him back eagerly, ravishing Lance’s mouth entirely.

 

“Keith, I need -,” Lance whimpered breathlessly, until he found himself unable to get out another word as Keith promptly took that moment to lick into Lance’s mouth. Frantically, Lance thrusted his hips up, craving even the smallest bit of friction, which caused Keith to pull back, smirking. 

 

“What  _ do _ you need, Lance?” He teased, clearly enjoying the exquisite torture he was putting Lance through. 

 

“Keith, please,” he groaned. “Please, I need you to move faster,” Lance screwed his eyes shut, still shallowly pushing his hips up. His body was ablaze with heat wherever his skin was making contact with Keith’s, and he’d had no idea that anything could feel this fucking good. 

 

“Well, since you asked so politely,” Keith chuckled, before pinning Lance’s hands up above his head and driving forwards, making his movements faster and more desperate. Lance cried out at the feeling of being completely taken apart, and pressed his mouth to Keith’s again to steady himself. It was less of a kiss this time, and more just their open mouths panting and sliding wetly against each other. 

 

It was all too long yet not long enough by the time Lance could feel the heat building up in the pit of his stomach. He moaned Keith’s name brokenly, since the other boy was the only coherent thought in his mind.

 

He managed to get out, “Keith, I’m - ”, and then he was coming, riding an endless wave of pleasure unlike anything he’d felt before. Somehow, he was still able to register Keith’s body stiffen, and then after some minutes, eventually relax and roll over to lie next to him. Their chests rose and fell in tandem, and Lance couldn’t stop himself from wincing at how empty and cold he felt without Keith completely smothering him. 

 

“Lance?” Keith said, a note of concern in his voice. “Are you okay?”

 

Lance turned his head to the side. Keith was looking at him, biting his bruised and swollen bottom lip. His eyes were impossibly dark and purple, still slightly glazed over with the afterglow they were experiencing. Sweat stuck his hair to the back of his neck, and trickled in gentle rivulets down his chest. Lance didn’t dare drop his gaze lower, uncharacteristically embarrassed for once. 

 

“I’m completely perfect,” he said lamely. “Just, uh, a little...worn out.”

 

Keith closed his eyes, and Lance stared, fascinated, at the flush that immediately spread across his cheeks. 

 

“Yeah, uh, sorry about that,” he muttered. 

 

Lance snorted. “Could you not hear me five minutes ago? Did I  _ sound _ like you should be sorry?” Keith cracked an eye open, and grinned devilishly.

 

“Good point.”

 

With a groan, the other boy jumped up and walked to the bathroom; Lance firmly refused to ogle his ass even though it genuinely might have been sculpted by Michelangelo himself. Keith returned a few seconds later with a damp towel which he chucked at Lance’s head. 

 

“What, you’re not gonna wipe me down?” Lance asked, stifling a grin. Keith rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. 

 

“Give it here,” he demanded, and Lance was more than happy to comply. Keith sat on the bed next to him and cleaned him off in gentle, intimate strokes, frowning as he made sure he didn’t miss a single spot. Lance watched him through half-lidded eyes, affection welling up inside him till he felt like his heart could probably beat out of his chest at that point. 

 

The words came to him, unbidden. 

 

“Keith,” he said, softly at first. The other boy didn’t seem to hear him. 

 

“Keith,” he said again, louder this time. This time he looked up, and violet eyes met Lance’s own, questioning.

 

Lance swallowed. “Keith, I...I love you.” He could hear his heart pounding loudly in his ears as he waited for Keith’s response. He’d meant it, of course, and if Keith wasn’t ready to say it back that was  _ perfectly _ fine, but it would be nice if he did.

 

“Lance,” Keith whispered, and placed a delicate hand on the side of Lance’s face, stroking his cheekbone lightly.

 

“I love you too.” His face blossomed into a shy smile, and Lance made a choked off noise in the back of his throat. He raised himself up on his elbows, and slowly, shakily, leaned forward. Keith met him halfway, just like Lance knew he would, and when their lips met it was like Lance was seeing in colour for the first time. It pulled the air out of his lungs and filled his head with a cacophony of light, and it was gentle but even more passionate than their kisses before. It was everything.

 

When Keith, finally, sadly, pulled back, not so far that their warm breaths weren’t still mingling, he was smirking.

 

“So, the sex was that good, huh?”

 

Lance slapped his shoulder in mock outrage. “Fuck off! You’re the one who  _ lost _ the challenge, remember?”

 

Keith snorted. “First of all, you  _ totally _ cheated with that whole condoms and lube stunt you pulled on me! Second of all, I feel like a damn winner right about now, so I’m not really sure what you’re talking about.”

 

Lance smacked him in the stomach with a pillow.

 

“Ow! Lance, you little shit!” Keith yelled. Lance laughed, and continued to hit him with pillows, rolling out of bed and hitting his head on the floor when Keith retaliated with blows of his own. They were soon rolling around on the floor, breathing heavily, not bothering with pillows when fingers worked just as well to tickle and poke each other.

 

Lance, with some difficulty, maneuvered himself so that he was on top, gazing down at his beautiful boyfriend. 

 

“I love you,” he declared. Keith pushed a dark lock out of his face and winked.

 

“I know,” he grinned. Lance rolled his eyes in disbelief.

 

“Sorry, the timing was just too good,” Keith explained amidst fits of giggles.

 

Lance flopped down, burying his exasperated smile in Keith’s neck. Immediately, Keith wrapped his arms around him and peppered his cheeks and nose with eager kisses. “Say it again,” he mumbled insistently into Lance’s ear. “Say it again.”

 

“I love you, Keith,” Lance replied without any hesitation.

 

“I love you, too,” Keith said, firmly. 

 

“I know.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just fukcign. Take the fluff. take all of it!!! i seriously drowned y'all in sappiness and love in this chapter because boy oh boy do i feel bad for the next one. let's just say that emotions are gonna be running very, very high. and we might be meeting a certain character from keith's past! if you have no idea who i'm talking about,,, read chapter six again ;)
> 
> as always, if you enjoyed it literally takes less than a second to spare a kudos! and just a few more to leave a lovely comment :) they really do make me so happy <3
> 
> thank you again for 2000 kudos, it's so wild that so many people like my writing! and also,, just three chapters to go till this fic comes to a close.. im not crying u are.


	11. coming up for air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the dinner, a figure from Keith's past appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone!! as i promised, the angst has begun :) before you read this chapter, please go show some love to my AMAZING beta ran, her tumblr is @lvnce-mcclain !! she is an absolute godsend and this chapter would have been very different without her!! i love her sm <3
> 
> i also want to say - if you can't handle blood, i bring it up very briefly in one sentence near the end - skip the line that begins with "Lance only put it together..." 
> 
> this chapter is quite a bit longer than the recent ones, and i'm so proud with how it turned out so i hope you all enjoy it!

“Hey,” Lance murmured lowly, reaching a hand down to entwine his fingers with Keith’s. The two of them had, eventually, moved back up to the bed where they snuggled up to each other side by side. Keith looked up from where he had been snuggling his head into Lance’s chest, and immediately, Lance missed the soft warmth of his lips pressed openly against his skin.

 

“Yeah?” The other boy’s voice was adorably raspy. Lance wanted to wake up to that voice for the rest of his life.

 

“We, uh, we haven’t really had a chance to talk about,” Lance swallowed, “this.”

 

Keith furrowed his brow. “Well,” he began, idly sliding a finger over Lance’s Adam’s apple. “We have been a little _preoccupied_ ,” he continued smugly as he pressed a finger against one of the many bruises that littered Lance’s neck. Lance scoffed lightly.  

 

“Anyways, what’s there to talk about ?” Keith continued, resting his hand casually on Lance’s chest. Lance prayed silently that he wouldn’t be able to feel how fast his heart was beating.

 

“Just, you know. Stuff,” Lance said lamely.

 

Keith drew his hand back. “Ri-i-i-i-ght,” he said, unconvinced. “Okay then, you go first. Talk about whatever stuff you want to talk about. I’m listening.”

 

“Yeah,” Lance said. “Uh, okay.” He took a slow, deep breath, and willed his nerves to calm. “I just, I don’t know, I guess I was just thinking about, you know...us.”

 

Keith made a quiet noise of encouragement.

 

“And, uh, I guess I just was wondering… Do you really want to be with me?”

 

There. He’d blurted it out, the desperation and fear that had been building up inside him in the past few hours laid out bare in the trembling of his voice. Keith jolted straight up like he’d been shocked with a live wire.

 

“Lance, are you _serious_?” His voice came out as a strangled yelp. Lance raised himself up on his elbows, unable to meet Keith’s eyes.

 

“Yeah,” he muttered, shifting awkwardly.

 

“Lance,” Keith traced the outline of his jaw with a delicate finger, before cradling the side of his face in his palm. Lance instinctively closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, needing the oh-so-familiar warmth.

 

“Lance, of course I want to be with you. I _love_ you,” Keith insisted. “How could you possibly think otherwise?”

 

Lance flushed, embarrassed. “I don’t know. I guess I just thought you might have felt sorry for me after I accidentally let slip that I’d been crushing on you for four years, so you just - ”

 

“So I just what?” Keith interrupted. “Just _pretended_ that I had had a crush on you too? Lance, I’m done with pretending. I love you, okay? And I want to do all that gross lovey-dovey couple shit with you, like take you to go see a terrible rom-com and get milkshakes afterwards, and then make out for an hour. Except hopefully we could do a little more than make out. And I want to make you breakfast in the mornings, and look at the stars with you at night. I want to be your boyfriend, Lance!”

 

Lance was speechless for a second, taken aback by the passion in Keith’s voice. The other boy was looking at him with so much vulnerable affection in his eyes that it made Lance’s heart ache.

 

“I… I want to do all of that too - I just, I’m not so good with words, but I do, Keith. I love you,” Lance stammered. He sighed, and thudded his head back. “God, how did it take us so long to...realise?”

 

Keith shrugged. “I mean… I kinda knew.”

 

Lance stared accusingly at him. “Wha - what? How did you - _when_ did you - what? Why didn’t you _say_ anything?” Lance felt the heat creeping up his cheeks and winced. He’d really thought he’d hid his crush well, but it looked like he hadn’t.

 

Keith put a hand on Lance’s shoulder, squeezing tight. “I didn’t know from the start, of course. I mean, even after my feelings, you know,” he flushed slightly, “ _developed_ for you, I was way too scared to even begin to think that another boy would genuinely be interested in me.” A pensive expression crossed Keith’s face briefly as he looked off into the distance, before he shook his head. Lance frowned. Keith seemed to be waging a silent battle behind his eyes, but about what, Lance had no clue.

 

“Uh, you good?” Lance asked, concerned. Keith blinked and smiled, but it looked a little forced.

 

“Yeah, yeah. No, I’m fine,” he muttered. Lance wasn’t completely convinced but decided not to press it. If it was really a big issue, Keith would let Lance know. They were boyfriends now, after all.

 

“Yeah, so, anyways,” Keith continued, fiddling with his fingers. “I was just - too scared, you know? I wanted to be more than friends for _so long_ , Lance, but I was terrified to open up. And even though I was fairly sure of it, what if I was wrong? Or what if you weren’t ready? It just...It would break me,” he whispered, almost inaudibly.

 

“Keith,” Lance said, reaching out to stroke the other boy’s cheek with a gentle sort of reverence. “It doesn’t matter.” Keith made a noise of protest, so Lance shushed him not unkindly. “It doesn’t matter,” he repeated insistently. “Yes, we’re both idiots who could have gotten our shit together much earlier, but that doesn’t matter now. All that matters is that we’re here, now. With each other. I love you, Keith. Always, okay?”

 

Keith bit his lip, his eyes suspiciously bright. Lance watched as his boyfriend swallowed, leaned forward and pressed his lips against Lance’s own. Lance returned it eagerly, trying his best to convey the strength of the emotions he was feeling. Keith’s mouth was soft, warm, and tasted faintly of champagne with a hint of dark chocolate, presumably from the gateau that had been dessert earlier that day. The kiss was intimately sweet in a way that made Lance’s heart stir.

 

“I love you,” he murmured again, once they’d finally pulled apart and Keith was resting his forehead against Lance’s. Keith smiled warmly, and kissed him again, then pushed Lance back onto the pillows and straddled his hips in one smooth movement. Lance’s hands immediately tangled themselves in Keith’s hair, desperately trying to get the other boy closer. The choked-off noises Keith was making were setting Lance’s nerves alight. This was definitely a sharp contrast to the kiss they’d just shared; Lance ignored the slight pain of his teeth clacking none too gently against Keith’s, choosing instead to kiss him harder with a fiery passion.

 

After a few long minutes, Keith drew back, lower lip plump with spit. Lance whimpered involuntarily at the loss of contact, and watched as Keith’s pupils expanded at the noise. The other boy was leaning over him, eyes intensely dark and locks of hair messily framing his face. Lance itched to reach up and pull Keith’s neck down and draw him into another scorching kiss.

 

“Lance, can’t we just stay here all day?” Keith pleaded huskily, and god, if he had asked Lance to hang the moon in that same voice Lance would have had to figure it out somehow, because hearing Keith sound so wrecked made his entire body turn to jelly.

 

“As much as I would love that,” he groaned reluctantly, “We do have to start getting ready for the dinner now.”

 

Keith sighed. “Fine, then. I’m gonna go shower and you’re _not_ allowed to join me, or we’re never gonna get ready in time.”

 

Lance raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Sure, but that’s your loss.” Keith reached to the side and chucked a pillow at his head, and then he stretched obnoxiously, preening like a peacock. Lance was more than happy to ogle his boyfriend’s gorgeous body, and without meaning to he lifted a hand to stroke up the side of Keith’s torso.

 

“Nope, not happening,” his absolute fucking tease of a boyfriend said smugly. Lance rolled his eyes, and with monumental effort, dragged his eyes away from the other boy’s happy trail. Keith snickered, evidently proud of the effect he was having on Lance, then got up and strolled towards the en suite bathroom. He turned the door handle, paused before going in, and turned his head back.

 

“You coming, or what?” Keith called over his shoulder. Lance scrambled out of the bed and towards the bathroom as fast as his feet could take him.

 

~

 

Keith tapped his foot impatiently. Lance had been in the bathroom for twenty minutes, and Keith still hadn’t gotten ready yet. He knocked on the door for what was probably about the eleventh time.

 

“Lance, babe, if you don’t come out in the next _two_ minutes, I _will_ post those pictures of you from when that kid at Disneyland vomited all over your shoes,” Keith threatened with a sugar-sweet voice. A low blow, he knew, but judging from the gasp of outrage from inside the bathroom, guaranteed to work.

 

After a few moments, the door opened up to Keith’s stunning boyfriend. Keith wasn’t ashamed to admit that Lance took his breath away no matter what he was wearing, but when he wore a suit? Keith swore his heart skipped at least eight beats. He fought the adoring smile rising to his face and instead said, “Took you long enough,” with a tone he hoped sounded unimpressed.

 

Lance grinned unabashedly. “Perfection doesn’t come easily,” he explained with a wink. Keith rolled his eyes, and pushed past him into the bathroom. This boy was gonna be the death of him, he thought.

 

~

 

“You guys tidy up quite well, I must say,” Maria drawled as Lance and Keith walked up to the rest of the family, excluding Leo and Maela. Since the dinner was more of an adult function, they had been allowed to stay in their hotel room and watch movies all night. Lance shouldn’t have been jealous of his kid siblings, but cuddling up with Keith and watching Netflix sounded like absolute heaven at that moment.

 

“Wow, was that an actual compliment coming from my lovely sister’s lips?” Lance shot back with a raised eyebrow. “I guess you’re not too bad yourself.”

 

Maria snorted and punched Lance lightly in the arm. “C’mon, you loser, we gotta get ready for our speeches.” Lance winced. His sister was a lot stronger than she thought.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I know mine off by heart already, so no wonder I’m the favourite child!”

 

It wasn’t a lie. Lance had spent weeks frantically rewriting his speech till it was the perfect blend of humor, nostalgia, and hard-hitting emotion. He was sure it was gonna be a massive hit.

 

Maria rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh? Bet you fifty bucks mine will make the aunties cry more. There’s a crap ton of sappy shit in it,” she smirked.

 

Lance opened his mouth to retaliate, when he felt familiar fingers slide over his lips.

 

“As entertaining as it is to watch you two squabble all day,” Keith cut in with a charming smile, his hand now firmly covering Lance’s mouth. “Your parents have already gone in, and I think we should, too.”

 

Maria looked at him, amused. “Okay. Walk me in?” she teased, holding up her arm like a lady from two centuries ago.

 

Keith winked. “I would love to, but I’m afraid that position has already been taken.” He removed his palm from Lance’s lips, then turned to him and held out his other hand. Lance took it immediately, slotting his fingers comfortably in Keith’s warm grasp.

 

“Yeah Maria, sorry, but he’s mine,” Lance said smugly.

 

“It was worth a shot.” Maria shrugged with a grin, and with that, the three of them walked in together.

 

~

 

The hall had been completely redecorated since that afternoon, with most of the tables cleared to the sides to make space for a dance floor, and the lights were now significantly dimmer. There was a smattering of adults dotted around the room, and Keith spotted a few familiar faces, including Lance’s entertaining Aunt Yelena. Thankfully, there was no sight of Isobel. Keith shuddered involuntarily as he recalled how pushy the girl had been at lunch.

 

Lance tugged gently at his sleeve. “Hey, babe, I’m gonna go talk to my parents and see what time I’m speaking. If you want to try and find out where our seats are, you can do that, or you can grab us drinks, it’s up to you.” Keith nodded, and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

 

“I think I’m gonna go talk to Maya for a bit,” he smiled. “Once you’re done you should come and meet her! She’s great, and I know you two would get along super well.”

 

Lance shrugged. “Yeah, of course.” He paused, eyes lighting up mischievously. “I don’t need to be staking any claims, do I?”

 

Keith rolled his eyes. “Shut up. She and I are literally both gay as fuck, but sure, have fun _staking your claims_ , as you say.”

 

Lance stuck his tongue out childishly then, chuckling to himself, turned and walked away. Keith watched him go, a look of fond exasperation on his face.

 

Then, with a bounce in his step, he went to find a certain hilarious bartender.

 

~

 

Maya swiftly wiped down another glass, then started on a row of shots for the three men sitting at the bar. _These people really can drink, huh,_ she thought to herself with a grin. The dinner had barely just started, and she had already probably made at least sixty drinks. She definitely wasn’t complaining, though. There was something so immensely enjoyable about the routine of pouring the different spirits, chucking in ice and whatever other flavours the person desired, and then her favourite part - showing off her, frankly, very impressive bartending skills. Plus, even though the drinks were free of charge, everyone had been tipping very generously, and Maya wasn’t about to turn them down.

 

With a flick of her wrist, Maya slid the shot glasses down the bar table, landing them neatly in front of the patiently waiting older men.

 

She was rewarded with hearty cheers, and took a gracious bow, giggling. “I’ll be here all night,” she called, and got a round of applause in return. Smiling to herself, Maya looked at the next person leaning on the counter to order.

 

“Keith!” she exclaimed happily. However brief her and the boy’s conversation had been at lunch, Maya had enjoyed every second of it. She was a little put out that the mysterious boyfriend was still nowhere to be seen, though.

 

“Hey, Maya,” Keith grinned. “How’s it going? Just thought I’d pop over and say hi to my favourite bartender.” His eyes sparkled warmly, and yeah, Maya needed to meet whoever his boyfriend was immediately and congratulate him on landing such a catch.

 

“Right, and how many bartenders do you know, again?” she teased. Keith shrugged, mouth pulling up at a corner in a tiny smirk. “Anyways, you want a drink? Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I have been told that my old fashioned is _incredibly_ addictive.”

 

“Well, let’s put that to the test, then,” Keith said, spreading his hands. “Let me guess: there’s a secret ingredient in there somewhere, which you can’t tell me without having to kill me afterwards?”

 

Maya threw him a knowing wink as she pulled out a glass from a drawer underneath the counter. “Pretty much,” she agreed.

 

A few seconds later, Maya handed Keith the finished product. “All I’m saying is, if you can’t stop yourself from begging for more, in my defence, I _did_ warn you,” she deadpanned.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Keith said, and took a sip. Maya laughed out loud as his eyes widened comically. “Holy shit, okay, this is amazing. I’m gonna need about twenty more of these, thanks.”

 

“Mm-hmm, and end up with alcohol poisoning?” Maya said with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t think so. I doubt your boyfriend would look too kindly on me for that. Speaking of, you still haven’t introduced me! I’m starting to get the feeling you don’t want us to meet.”

 

“No, no, he’s coming, I swear,” Keith insisted. “He’s just sorting out when he’s making his speech. You know, for his parents. Apparently it’s super sappy, so you might want to get the tissues ready.”

 

“Huh. Well, I’ll keep that in mind,” Maya said. “Okay, well, as much as I do love talking to you, I have to get back to work. Bring your boyfriend back here, and I’ll make you both my special,” she promised.

 

“Oh, man, I really didn’t mean to intrude, Maya. I’m so sorry,” Keith apologised.

 

Maya waved him off. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Just don’t forget to come back with your man later, okay?”

 

Keith nodded, smiling. “See you later, then,” he waved and left, taking his drink with him.

 

Maya grinned at his retreating figure. Not for the first time, she thanked her lucky stars she’d landed this job. Keith was one of the most genuinely nice people she’d met in a long while.

 

~

 

Lance stood alone, scanning the room with a critical eye. His mom and dad were chatting animatedly to some of their friends, and Maria was happily indulging in some of the hors d'oeuvres being served by fancily dressed waiters. They weren’t who Lance was looking for, though.

 

He inhaled sharply at the feeling of an arm sliding smoothly around his waist.

 

“Hey, babe,” Keith’s voice purred in his ear. “Miss me?”

 

Lance chuckled lightly. “Yeah, loads.” He gazed at the other boy, and for what seemed like the millionth time, was awestruck by just how beautiful his boyfriend was. The way Keith’s dark, soft locks contrasted sharply against his pale, exposed nape made Lance’s heart beat so fast it was honestly a little scary. And when he contemplated Lance with those deep and soulful eyes, the look in them was infinitely tender. Lance swallowed shallowly.

 

“I did, actually,” he murmured with a touch more honesty. “Where were you?”

 

“At the bar, Lance,” Keith said slowly. “I told you that’s where I was going, remember?”

 

Fuck. It had completely slipped Lance’s mind in the midst of speaking to his mom about the format of the night.

 

“Shit, I completely forgot,” Lance said apologetically. “I’m sorry. Do you wanna go there now? You said you wanted to introduce me to, uh, Maya, was it?”

 

Keith smiled. “Yeah. Sure, let’s go. You figured out when you’re speaking, right?”

 

“Yeah, um, I’m going up in about ten minutes. I’m the first speaker, actually,” Lance said. “Why don’t we go chill at the bar for a bit, then we can find our seats when I’m done?”

 

Keith beamed at him. “That sounds great.”

 

Lance interlocked their fingers automatically and let Keith lead the way. As they moved, Lance had to stifle his laughter at the intensity of the way his boyfriend was pushing through the crowded room. Finally, they arrived at the bar counter, where a beautiful girl, probably around the same age as them, was tossing a bottle in the air like she’d done it a thousand times before. Her eyes lit up as she caught sight of them, and as Lance watched, enthralled, she caught the bottle behind her back and seemingly vanished it into nowhere.

 

“Maya!” Keith called out. “Look who I brought to see you!” Lance stood a little straighter at this. From the way Keith had spoken about Maya, he wanted to make a good impression on her.

 

She grinned infectiously, teeth stark white against the deep brown of her skin. “So this is the elusive boyfriend I’ve heard so much about, huh?” As she spoke, she fiddled with an elegant gold chain that hung around her neck. Lance could already see why Keith had spoken so highly of her. Maya had this almost visible glow to her, and no, Lance wasn’t talking about her perfectly applied makeup. She was just one of those people who radiated positivity, and Lance liked her immediately.

 

“Guilty as charged,” he joked, raising his hands in mock surrender. “It’s nice to meet you, Maya.”

 

“And you…” Maya trailed off. “I still don’t know your name, unfortunately.” Lance turned to stare accusingly at Keith.

 

“Whoa, don’t look at me,” Keith defended. “It never came up in conversation! And Maya and I don’t even know each other’s last names.”

 

“Mine’s Phillips,” Maya volunteered.

 

“Kogane,” Keith said in return.

 

“I’m Lance Sanchez. This is my parents’ anniversary party,” Lance said. He paused, and then blurted, “Wow, I sounded like a complete fucking snob there, didn’t I?”

 

Maya laughed, throwing her head back. “I mean, yeah, you did, just a little.”

 

“I didn’t mean to, I swear,” Lance pleaded. Keith snorted at that, so Lance gave him an affectionate punch to the shoulder.

 

“Anyways, I believe I was promised a free drink?” he said, smoothly changing the subject. Maria  furrowed her brow.

 

“You do know that all the drinks are free… right?”

 

Lance raised a finger in protest, then lowered it again. “Right.” Maya was staring at him, an amused smirk playing at her lips, and it was really throwing Lance off his game. Usually, he was the smooth-talking, quick-with-a-comeback person in the conversation, but evidently today that wasn’t the case.

 

“Okay, I’m gonna try and save what’s left of my boyfriend’s dignity by stepping in,” Keith interrupted, clearly trying his hardest to keep from bursting into giggles. “Maya, would you kindly make me and Lance your so-called special?”

 

“Keith, are you implying that the drinks I’m about to make for you two _aren’t_ going to be the best you’ll ever have in your life?” Maya’s eyes twinkled as she grabbed a bottle from the side, while simultaneously kicking two glasses onto the countertop with a well-placed kick. Lance was now inexorably sure his boyfriend had hit it off with a supernatural being; no normal person could have accomplished that feat.

 

“Nice heels,” he commented. Intimidating would probably have been a more accurate word choice, considering the heel in question was at least six inches, black, and spiked - and just mere seconds after meeting Maya, Lance had a feeling it was very possible she might have preferred that.

 

“Thanks!” the bartender said with a warm smile. “Chloe - my girlfriend - got them for me for my birthday. She’d seen me drool over them every time we walked past the store window for weeks.” Lance felt his heartstrings tug when he recognised the way Maya’s eyes lit up animatedly the second she’d said her girlfriend’s name. The expression was all too familiar - Lance saw it every time he looked at Keith.

 

“Wow, really? She sounds like a sweetheart,” Lance chuckled.

 

“She is,” Maya agreed wholeheartedly, and Lance let out an inwards sigh of relief at finally saying something right. “Guess opposites really do attract, huh.” She tipped a dash of an amber-coloured liquid into each glass, then set the bottle back down on the counter.

 

“Here you go, boys,” Maya said, handing them each their drink. The liquid inside was a gorgeous gradient of champagne bubbles on top, which then became dark gold, and finally at the bottom of the glass, turned to a rich, deep red. Lance took a long sip, and was rewarded with a satisfyingly sweet, almost fruity taste. He let a small piece of crushed ice slip down his throat, and the cool sensation mixed with the alcohol set his nerves buzzing pleasantly.

 

“Damn, Maya. This is really fucking good,” Keith complimented the grinning bartender.

 

“Yeah, holy shit,” Lance echoed emphatically. He wasn’t lying. Lance wasn’t very knowledgeable about alcohol, but he did know what he liked and what he didn’t, and he definitely liked this.

 

“Aw, thanks, you guys,” she said sincerely. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask - how long have you two been dating?” Maya continued casually.

 

Keith and Lance exchanged a quick look, and came to a silent agreement. Lance gave Keith the tiniest of nods, and Keith inclined his head, indicating Lance should go first.

 

“Okay, well, uh, this is gonna sound kinda crazy,” Lance began.

 

“Like, _really_ crazy,” Keith interjected.

 

Maya raised an eyebrow. “Try me.”

 

“Well, if you say so,” Lance said, taking another sip to give himself some courage.

 

“It all started just over a week ago, when I was on the phone with my mom. She asked me if I was seeing anyone, and if I was gonna bring them to the wedding.”

 

“Right, and you said Keith. How is that crazy, exactly?” Maya teased.

 

“You didn’t let me finish,” Lance said, holding up a finger. “I panicked, and said Keith’s name. The thing was, at the time, we _weren’t_ dating.” Maya frowned, very clearly confused.

 

“Exactly. So, I sprinted all the way to his house, and begged for him to just be my fake boyfriend for two weeks. For some reason, he said yes, and - ”

 

“ _For some reason?_ Lance, you know damn well that I had a crush on you back then, shut up,” Keith shouted wildly.

 

Lance laughed. “Okay, okay,” he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Basically, and I know this sounds absolutely unbelievable, Keith and I had secretly been harboring crushes for each other for at least a year or so.”

 

Maya was looking more and more incredulous every second. “You’re kidding.”

 

“Not in the slightest,” Keith piped in. “So, we came to Lance’s family’s beautiful lakeside home, and pretended to be each other’s boyfriend, while actually wishing we _were_ dating, made out a couple of times, and then, what, about nine hours ago, we confessed to each other that we were in love? And now, we’re dating.”

 

“Like, for real,” Lance added matter of factly.

 

Maya’s jaw was slack, and she looked utterly speechless. “Wha - wha - what the actual _fuck_?”

 

“Told you it was crazy,” Keith shrugged.

 

“Nine hours - _nine hours?!_ You two only - what the fu - I don’t - ” Maya trailed off, completely bewildered. Lance laughed, and opened his mouth to tease her, but just then, the high-pitched screech of microphone feedback cut through their conversation.

 

Keith winced and covered his ears. “God, I hate that noise,” he muttered, and Maya made a sound of agreement.

 

Lance peered over an older lady’s head and saw his sister on stage, holding the mic with a slightly pained expression on her face.

 

“Hello, everyone,” Maria spoke a little too loudly into the microphone. Her voice boomed out of a speaker near Lance’s ear. “Wait, I’m sorry,” she said, tilting the mic away from her. The level of sound was much more tolerable now, and Lance sighed in relief.

 

“Okay, sorry ‘bout that. Hi, everybody!” Maria announced. “I hope that you’re all enjoying the dinner so far. Um, if you weren’t aware, I’m Maria Sanchez, and tonight is my parents anniversary!” At that, a round of whoops and claps went around the crowd.

 

“So, we’re gonna begin with a few speeches, during which the food will be served. There’s an open bar at the back of the room as well,” Maria, said, and pointed towards them. Multiple heads turned, so Maya gave them a cheeky grin and a wave. “I really hope all of you have a great night, and before I pass over to my older brother, Lance, I’d like to make a toast to my amazing parents, Lola and Mateo!”

 

“To Lola and Mateo,” The room chorused happily, lifting their drinks. Lance and Keith raised theirs as well, then knocked back the last few sips.

 

“Uh, Lance, isn’t that your cue?” Maria asked.

 

“Oh shit, yeah!” Lance exclaimed. “Okay, um, Keith, I’ll text you when I’m done to let you know where to go. Maya, it was great to meet you. Thanks for the drink!” He set his empty glass down on the counter, and walked quickly to the stage, where he could make out his sister’s awkwardly waiting figure.

 

~

 

“God, he’s such a dumbass,” Keith chuckled while watching his boyfriend nearly trip himself up in his hurry to get to the stage. The hall was large, so Lance’s figure was significantly smaller once he finally reached his sister.

 

“Nah, I like him,” Maya said. “He seems like a nice guy. And yeah, your backstory is _totally_ bizarre, but I guess it’s also kinda cute. Super unbelievable, though. I’m not gonna lie, I thought you two were pranking me for a bit.”

 

Keith chuckled, and shook his head.. They fell into a comfortable silence, and tuned back into Lance’s speech. From the smattering of applause dying out, Keith figured he must have just introduced himself. Even from far away, he could make out the goofy smile on the other boy’s face as he began reminiscing on some of his family memories. Keith felt like he was a cup full to the brim of happiness; he didn’t think he’d ever been this content in his whole life.

 

~

 

“Hey, Maya,” Keith whispered discreetly.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Look, I uh, really need to pee. Do you know where the bathroom is?”

 

“Yeah, just through those doors,” Maya gestured to the right of the hall. “Sure you don’t want to hold it for a little longer so you can hear the rest of your boyfriend’s speech?”

 

Keith grinned. “Lance mumbles in his sleep. Trust me, I know it all by heart.”

 

Maya waved him off, giggling, and grabbed some fruit from the freezer. Less than a minute later, she sensed a figure strolling forwards to lean on the counter in front of her.

 

“Back so soon, Kogane?” She teased, not looking up from where she was painstakingly slicing a lime into paper-thin circles.

 

“I think you must have mistaken me for someone else,” an unfamiliar voice drawled smoothly.

 

Maya’s head snapped up. Standing casually in front of her was a tall, good-looking man. If she had to guess, she would say he was a few years older than her. Maya could tell his sandy hair was carefully styled in that ‘I woke up like this’ way that was right on trend, with one strand flopping meticulously into a light brown eye. His lips were pulled into a small smirk, and he carried himself with the arrogant air of someone who was used to being the centre of attention.

 

Maya hated him immediately.

 

“Sorry, yeah,” she said. “Can I help you with something?” She tried to keep her tone as pleasant as possible, reminding herself of the age old saying of not judging a book by its cover, or whatever.

 

“Well, if you are the bartender, then yes,” the man said. ”Dirty martini, thanks.”

 

“Coming right up,” Maya said, plastering an insincerely sweet smile on her face.

 

As she pulled out a cocktail glass, she felt the man’s eyes tracking her movements and forced herself to suppress a shudder.

 

“So uh, are you related to Lance, or?” Maya asked, trying to make polite conversation.

 

“No,” the man replied. “I guess you could say I’m a…friend of the family.” He smiled to himself, as if he had just made a joke that only he understood. “I take it you’re very familiar with Lance, then?”

 

“Well, no, not really,” Maya said, while searching for the olives. “I actually only met him about half an hour ago. It’s kinda funny, actually; it’s his family’s function, but I was introduced to him by his boyfriend.”

 

“Oh, really? That must have been a funny coincidence,” the man said.

 

“I mean, I only met him at the lunch today, but Keith’s a really sweet guy, so - ”

 

“I’m sorry, what did you say his name was?” The man seemed to stiffen up, but there was a gleam in his eyes that suggested glee rather than fear.

 

Maya hesitated. “Uh…Lance’s boyfriend? His name’s Keith.”

 

The man smiled, but the expression didn’t look quite right. “And I don’t suppose you know his last name?”

 

“Sorry if I’m being a bit blunt, but why exactly do you want to know?” Maya asked.

 

“Oh, no reason,” the man said, shrugging casually. “I just… I was very close to someone called Keith when I was younger, and though it may seem improbable, there is a chance that this might be the same person. I shouldn’t get my hopes up, though. And you’re right, I was intruding. I’m sorry.” He looked at her sincerely.

 

Maya couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy, weird as he seemed. “No, no, no. I was just being overprotective. His last name is Kogane… Does that ring any bells?”

 

The man’s face lit up. “Yes! That’s the one! I can’t believe this, thank you so much! Wow, who would’ve thought, huh.”

 

“Yeah, no way!” Maya said. “Um, here’s your drink.”

 

“Thank you. And, I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name?”

 

“Maya,” she supplied helpfully.

 

“Rolan. It was lovely to meet you, Maya. I’ll keep an eye out for Keith tonight.”

 

Maya nodded. “Enjoy your martini!”

 

“I’m sure I will,” Rolan said, and walked away.

 

~

 

Keith’s phone buzzed in his pocket as he was heading back to Maya. He pulled it out to see a notification from his boyfriend.

 

**[ Message from: Lance <3 ]**

 

**_Lance <3 _ **

**_21:09_ **

 

_hey dude i just finished my speech!!! did u like it?? not gonna lie i think it went very well but now i’ve been swarmed by relatives rip_

 

Keith grinned, and began typing a response.

  


**_You_ **

**_21:09_ **

 

_i mean… it was ok i guess_

 

**_Lance <3 _ **

**_21:10_ **

 

_you think ur so funny huh_

 

_well i have news for u, pretty boy_

 

_UR NOT >:((( _

 

**_You_ **

**_21:11_ **

 

_so you admit, im pretty_

 

_;)_

 

**_Lance <3 is typing…_ **

 

**_Lance <3 is typing…_ **

 

**_You_ **

**_21:12_ **

 

_you good?_

 

**_Lance <3_ **

**_21:13_ **

  


_e̵̡͙̲̞̳͓̰̝̳̽ͅa̶̛̗̮͔͓t̶̞͍͍̻͒ ̸̼͚̥̼̤͕̦͒̔̃̈́̐͗̽̚̕͝ṁ̴̨̧̡̗͍͓̪̥̂͋͗͑́̈́̌̓͝͠y̴̡̩̓ ̶̡̮̺͕͈̜̯͓̓͗̓̂͊̉̕͠͝a̶̠̫̹̭͊̆ş̸̻̐̀̀͆̐͑̊̔̎̄̚͘͠͝s̴̡̛̛̼̺̦͎͍̪̣̣̠̠͖̝̱͊̀̂̂̈̊̒͝_

 

 

**_You_ **

**_21:13_ **

 

_i didn’t know you were into that_

 

_but sure_

 

**_Lance <3_ **

**_21:13_ **

 

_OMGJFHJHD_

 

_fuck off!!!!! i hate u_

 

**_You_ **

**_21:13_ **

 

_hhahhahshsaha_

 

_where are u i just got out of the bathroom_

 

**_Lance <3_ **

**_21:14_ **

 

_still trapped with my aunties :/_

 

_let’s meet at our table? it’s the one near the left side of the room next to that massive pillar_

 

**_You_ **

**_21:14_ **

 

_yea sure_

 

_want a drink? i’m stopping by the bar_

 

**_Lance <3_ **

**_21:15_ **

 

_yes pls!! can u get me one of maya’s specials that shit was bomb_

 

**_You_ **

**_21:15_ **

 

_ok see u soon_

 

_ <3 _

 

**_Lance <3_ **

**_21:15_ **

 

_you know how much i love it when u use that heart emoji_

 

_aight peace_

 

Keith chuckled and put his phone back in his pocket as he walked up to the bar. There was a substantial crowd surrounding it, so he figured he’d be waiting at least a couple of minutes. He was sure Lance would be okay on his own.

 

~

 

Lance was not okay. His well-intentioned mother had decided to, as she put it, have all the older ‘kids’ sit together on a table, so they would have similar things to discuss. Lance presumed she meant things like future career prospects, and not, say, favourite vine compilations. Usually, he’d be jumping for joy at the chance to not have to suffer a whole night of casual homophobia and misogyny by sitting with some of his uncles, but this was a special case.

 

Tonight, for some reason, his ex girlfriend Nyma Wu was here. Lance rolled his eyes as he remembered that her name was technically Nimah, but how back in high school, she’d forced everyone to spell it with a ‘y’ because apparently it was more _unique_ that way. He watched as she leant over to whisper something in the ear of the blonde guy sitting next to her. He laughed, and they clinked their glasses together like they’d just signed a successful business deal.

 

Lance sighed. He couldn’t just stand up the entire night. He approached the table warily, a carefree smile in place. Nyma had a very irritating way of being able to sniff out any insecurities immediately - and then pounce on them like a cat with its favourite toy.

 

“Uh, hi, Nyma,” he said as he settled into the chair as far away as possible from her. The night was going to be long; Lance wanted to be comfortable.

 

“Lance, darling!” Her eyes widened with faux surprise. “Fancy seeing you here, hm?”

 

“Well, you know, this _is_ my parents’ anniversary party,” Lance replied, injecting mock cordiality into his tone. Nyma had played him like a fiddle when they were teenagers, but Lance had had time to grow, and learn. If she wanted tonight to be a battle of insults, well, Lance had a _ton_ of ammunition.

 

“Hah. It’s nice to see your sense of humour has improved over the years. It was hard being the only funny one in our relationship,” Nyma said, just as sweetly.

 

“Relationship?” Lance said incredulously. “I mean, if you think two years of manipulating and degrading me like I was nothing more than a silly little pet counts as a relationship, then sure, I guess.”

 

Nyma rolled her eyes. “God, you were always so dramatic, weren’t you.” She tossed back her head of long, golden hair, and Lance unconsciously followed the motion with his eyes, recalling how it had used to be a shade similar to his own.

 

She smiled a charming smile that had once been able to bring Lance to his knees. “Like the new colour? I dyed it a couple of weeks ago. Brown is just so... _boring_ , don’t you agree?”

 

Lance took a sip of water, refusing to take the bait. As he drank, he noticed the man sitting next to Nyma had been watching the exchange with an amused look on his handsome face. He met Lance’s eyes, and murmured something in Nyma’s ear, making her giggle loudly.

 

Lance set the glass back down with a bit more force than necessary. “Lance Sanchez. Pleasure to meet you,” he said with as little sincerity as possible.

 

“Likewise, Lance. I’m Rolan.” He couldn’t have been more than two years older than Lance, but something in his eyes made Lance very, very uneasy, and intimidated in a way he usually wasn’t.

 

Lance nodded tightly in response, then turned to address his ex. “Nyma, let’s cut the crap. Why are you here?”

 

A look of displeasure flashed upon her face for a brief millisecond, which was quickly replaced by a forced, cruel smile. “Oh, darling, I’m just Rolan’s plus-one. I know your dear mother would hate to see me here - which is exactly why I came.”

 

Lance gritted his teeth. Attacking him was one thing, but his mother? That was another story. Rolan quickly lifted his hands, as if to diffuse the situation. “Lance, our dads work together. My family was invited, and I was allowed to bring a friend, so I asked Nyma. I had no idea the two of you had so much bad blood between you.”

 

Rolan went on in his patronising tone, but Lance had stopped listening the second he’d seen Nyma’s eyes flash with anger when the guy had said the word ‘friend.’ There was something going on there, and Lance could take a very strong guess at what it was.

 

“Aw, Nyma. You’re still as pathetic as you were all those years ago,” he chuckled.

 

Nyma raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “In what way, exactly, was I ever pathetic, darling? I think out of the two of us, that word applies far more to you than me.”

 

Lance scoffed, the years of rage building up inside him. “Really? So you’re telling me that being so bored that you decided to start dating a boy who you knew was so helplessly, so _hopelessly_ in love with you that he would give you anything, even though you didn’t care for him at all, that wasn’t pathetic? The fact that you made me bend over backwards for you even though you could have given less of a shit about me? _That_ wasn’t pathetic? Or maybe how you were _so_ desperate to fuck up someone’s life that you made me sneak my dad’s brand new Range Rover all the way to school, _locked_ me in an empty classroom where I was stuck for sixteen hours, by the way, and went and _crashed_ the car into a tree? Nyma, you were crazy. And you haven’t changed a bit. Now, you’re lusting after some dude who very clearly isn’t into you. And, if I had to guess? I would say he isn’t into girls at all. But yeah. _I’m_ the pathetic one.”

 

Lance took a shaky breath. His impassioned words had taken a lot out of him, and he willed himself to calm down. Nyma was looking completely shell-shocked, but there was murder in her eyes. She was clenching the stem of her wine glass so tightly her knuckles were stark white.

 

Meanwhile, Rolan was suppressing a grin, and he actually seemed to be impressed with Lance’s speech.

 

“Well...I gotta say, Lance, I’ve known you for about,” Rolan checked the watch on his wrist, “Two minutes, and all I can say is damn! Remind me not to get on your bad side.” He chuckled, but Lance could barely hear him through the pounding in his head. Nyma had chewed him up and spat him out like a piece of gum, and it had taken him _years_ to get over what she had done to him. And now that he’d let it all out, it was like the weight of the world had been lifted off of his shoulders.

 

“You know what, Lance?” Nyma said, voice low and dangerous. “Fuck you. You’re always gonna be an insecure little loser who’s still in love with his high school girlfriend.” Lance watched her jaw clench and unclench rapidly.

 

“I mean, I’d drink to that, but my _boyfriend_ , who I actually care about, is currently getting me one,” Lance grinned cheekily at her. That was the final straw for Nyma. Reminding her of Lance’s bisexuality, which she’d always worked so hard to dismiss, was his ace of spades.

 

“Fuck this,” Nyma snarled. “Rolan, let’s go.” She snatched up her purse, and rummaged around in it wildly. “Goddammit, where’s my fucking phone?”

 

Over her shoulder, Lance spotted Keith strolling towards the table, a drink in each hand. “Keith! There you are, babe.” Rolan perked up when he heard the other boy’s name, for some reason. Nyma was still looking furiously for her phone, and it seemed that nobody was inclined to help her.

 

Keith walked up with eyes only for Lance, not acknowledging the other people at the table. He leant down and pressed a kiss to the skin just behind Lance’s ear, making him tremble.

 

“Here’s your drink. I missed you,” Keith murmured huskily.

 

“I would say let’s get out of here, but unfortunately that’s not in the cards,” Lance said teasingly.

 

Keith rolled his eyes, then spun around to greet the other two.

 

“Hi, I’m Kei -”

 

Everything after that happened too quickly. Lance heard the crunch of a glass being shattered in someone’s hand, saw Nyma clap her hands over her mouth, felt Keith’s fingers dig into his shoulder abruptly. A strangely familiar metallic scent filled his nostrils, but he couldn’t tell what it was, or where it was coming from. It was like there were a million different puzzle pieces, and Lance only put it together when he saw the shards of crystal protruding jaggedly from Keith’s flesh, a steady stream of blood and alcohol dripping slowly from his palm, staining the once pristine white tablecloth.

 

Lance looked up at Keith, and in the other’s boy’s wide eyes saw a haunted sort of fear he’d never seen before. Keith was staring directly at the blonde man across from him. Rolan was gazing back equally intensely, wearing a cruelly twisted smile.

 

“Keith? Are you okay?” Lance exclaimed, head spinning with confusion. “What’s going on? Keith?” The other boy didn’t even glance down.

 

“Rolan,” he tried. “Can you tell me what the hell’s going on, please?”

 

Rolan tilted his head to examine Lance’s face. “Why, Lance, did our dearest Keith not tell you?”

 

Lance furrowed his brow. “Tell me _what_? Keith, what is he talking about?”

 

Rolan’s smile stretched. “Oh, poor boy. Looks like he didn’t trust you enough, huh. Sad.”

 

“Rolan. Just. Fucking. Tell. Me.” Lance spat coldly. Keith still hadn’t moved, and terror had spread its mind-numbing chill throughout Lance’s body.

 

“Well, since you’re being so polite,” Rolan shot back, his smile now shark-like. “Your adorable little boyfriend standing there with bits of glass in his hand? Now, this might sound crazy, but before he was yours? He was mine.”

 

Lance’s heart skipped a beat. “Wait - _what_?” He felt Keith stiffen up, the grip on his shoulder tightening even more. It felt like there was no more air in the room, Lance’s throat was so dry. He shot a nervous glance at the nearest table to them, but thanks to the combination of lively music playing accompanied by the buzz of conversation, no one had paid them any notice. Yet. Lance had a niggling feeling that this night wasn’t going to end well.

 

“You know what Lance, why don’t you come on over here.” Rolan phrased it as a statement rather than a question. Lance swallowed and looked up at Keith again. He was staring blankly into the distance, as if reliving some god-awful memory. Lance wasn't gonna leave him.

 

“I’m fine where I am now, thanks,” Lance said, trying to keep his voice steady.

 

“I guess I’ll just come to you then,” Rolan said, and was by Lance’s side in the next second. The scent of his cologne was overbearing. Keith was full-on shaking now but his hand remained a steel vice on Lance’s shoulder, trapping him in place.

 

Rolan rolled his eyes at Keith, but didn’t say anything to him. Lance was thankful. He didn’t know what he would do if this escalated any further. He didn’t know what to think.

 

Rolan leaned down and placed his lips against Lance’s ear. “I was Keith’s first boyfriend,” he murmured so softly Lance almost couldn’t hear him. “I knew him when he was fifteen years old. It lasted two years. And if you thought what Nyma did to you was bad? Then you have _no_ idea what I put him through.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :000
> 
> i wanted to say that nyma and rolo are literally two of my favourite characters. Ever but i really needed them to be the antagonists so this definitely broke my heart lmao
> 
> feel free to yell at me in the comments! also do leave a kudos if you enjoyed this chapter, it really means the world to me!!


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